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Türkiye's national football team held its first training session in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, as the Crescent-Stars stepped up preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America.
The team trained Wednesday at the Florida Blue Training Center under head coach Vincenzo Montella, who had named his World Cup squad a day earlier. The squad includes several of Türkiye's leading players, including Hakan Calhanoglu, Arda Guler, Kerem Akturkoglu and Baris Alper Yilmaz.
The opening session marked the beginning of Türkiye's on-field preparations in the United States, where the team will continue building up toward its first World Cup appearance of the tournament.
Known as the Crescent-Stars because of the crescent and star on the Turkish flag, the national team is entering the final phase of its preparations under Montella's management.
Türkiye will next play Venezuela in an international friendly on June 6 at Inter Miami CF Stadium. The match will serve as a final test before the team turns its full attention to the group stage.
After the Venezuela friendly, Türkiye will move on to Group D, where it is scheduled to face Australia on June 13, Paraguay on June 20 and the United States on June 26.
The U.S. match will also bring Türkiye up against one of the host nations of the tournament, which is being jointly staged by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
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Unlike its Group D rivals, Türkiye has chosen to base its camp in Mesa, Arizona. The facility includes 24 multipurpose training grounds, giving the squad a broad base for training and recovery during the tournament period.
The 2026 FIFA World Cup will begin on June 11 and run through July 19. The tournament will feature 48 national teams, making it one of the largest editions in World Cup history.
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