When Turkiye finished third at the 2002 World Cup, few Turkish fans thought it would be almost a quarter of a century before their side’s next appearance at football’s showcase event.
So Turkiye’s qualification for World Cup 2026 on Tuesday was greeted with joy and a fair amount of relief, with a tense 1-0 playoff win at Kosovo prompting wild celebrations among the players and the 700-strong travelling support.
Back in Turkiye, people took to the streets in celebration, with many hanging out of honking cars and waving flags.
Turkiye rode their luck at times during the game at the Fadil Vokrri Stadium in Pristina, but emerged victorious thanks to a 53rd-minute goal from Kerem Akturkoglu, who poked the ball home from close range after Kenan Yildiz’s cross was turned into his path by Orkun Kokcu.
“Thank God. It has been 24 years. Some of us were not even born the last time we qualified, and some were too young to remember. We always dreamed of moments like this,” Akturkoglu told the Turkish media.
“We talked about 2002 and the success there; we always dreamed of it. Most of us don’t even remember 2002. Now we will give the next generation something to dream about at the 2026 World Cup. We want to make our country proud,” he added.
Translation: We can’t find the words to describe the beauty of this video! The one thing we’ll say is that we deserved it, and we are in the World Cup!
Turkiye have only appeared at the FIFA World Cup on two occasions. In 1954, they exited in the group stage, while in 2002 they beat cohosts Japan en route to a narrow 1-0 semifinal defeat to eventual champions Brazil.
Hakan Sukur scored just 11 seconds into the third-place playoff to score the fastest World Cup goal in history as Turkiye went on to beat the other cohosts, South Korea, to win the bronze medal.
Since then, Turkiye, currently 22nd in FIFA’s world rankings, have endured a series of near World Cup qualification misses and playoff losses.
Hopes were high among Turkish fans for this campaign as coach Vincenzo Montella had a particularly talented squad at his disposal, featuring a blend of emerging young stars such as Real Madrid’s Arda Guler and the Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz, alongside more seasoned players such as captain Hakan Calhanoglu.
“I am incredibly proud,” Montella told Turkish state news agency Anadolu.
“I wouldn’t change my players for a thing. Anyone who does this job dreams of the World Cup. I am incredibly grateful to my players. We have achieved our dream.
“It is an incredible feeling, I cannot describe it in words. The World Cup is the pinnacle.”
Australia, Paraguay and cohosts the United States await Turkiye in Group D of the World Cup, which is also being hosted by Canada and Mexico.
While Turkiye have appeared in several European Championships over the last two decades – including a run to the semifinals at Euro 2008 – those tournaments pale in significance to the World Cup.
Turkish Football Federation President Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu had even said Montella would be granted Turkish citizenship if his side qualified for the 2026 edition, which the Italian coach mentioned during his post-match media conference.
“I feel like a Turk, I think like a Turk in every step I take. The passport is just a formality for me, I am always like a Turk,” he said.
It is clear that Montella is beloved by his players, who mobbed him in celebration and drenched him in water during the media conference.
Montella also had some kind words for Kosovo and congratulated them on a fierce performance that pushed Turkiye to their limits.
“We are two friendly countries,” he said. “I wish we could have gone to the World Cup together, but they put up an incredible fight.”
Translation: A classic news conference!
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