The Turkish national team qualified for the 2026 World Cup after defeating Kosovo 1-0 in the European playoff final.
Turkey had previously defeated Romania 1-0 in the semi-final, while Kosovo triumphed over Slovakia 4-3 in a thrilling away match.
Kosovo hosted Turkey at the Fazil Fikri Stadium, where the visitors secured a victory with a goal from Kerim Aktürkoğlu in the 55th minute.
After a long absence, Turkey returns to the World Cup. The team’s last appearance was in 2002 in Korea and Japan, where they finished fourth.
This is only Turkey’s third World Cup qualification, following appearances in 1954 and 2002.
Turkey joins a seemingly manageable group alongside the host nation, the United States, as well as Australia and Paraguay.
