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Türkiye will make their long-awaited return to the FIFA World Cup in 2026, taking their place in Group D alongside Australia, Paraguay and co-hosts the United States after ending a 24-year absence from the tournament.
The national team last appeared at the World Cup in 2002, when the Crescent-Stars, a common nickname for Türkiye's national sides, finished third in South Korea and Japan.
The 2026 tournament, hosted by the U.S., Mexico and Canada, will mark Türkiye's third appearance on the field at a World Cup, although the team had also qualified for the 1950 edition before withdrawing because of the conditions of the period.
Türkiye qualified under Italian head coach Vincenzo Montella after finishing second in their European qualifying group behind Spain. The campaign opened with a 3-2 away win over Georgia, but a heavy 6-0 home defeat to Spain put pressure on the team early on.
Montella's side then bounced back with a 6-1 win away to Bulgaria before beating Georgia 4-1 and Bulgaria 2-0 at home. A 2-2 draw away to Spain in the final group match took Türkiye to 13 points and sent them into the playoffs.
In the playoff semifinal, Türkiye beat Romania 1-0 at Tupras Stadium through a goal from Ferdi Kadioglu. They then sealed qualification in Pristina with another 1-0 win, this time over Kosovo, as Kerem Akturkoglu scored the goal that ended the country's 24-year World Cup wait.
The team arrives at the tournament with several high-profile players in form, including Real Madrid's Arda Guler, Juventus forward Kenan Yildiz, Inter midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu and Brighton full-back Ferdi Kadioglu.
Türkiye also beat North Macedonia 4-0 in a warm-up match at Chobani Stadium before coming from behind to defeat Venezuela 2-1 in their final preparation game.
Türkiye's opening opponent will be Australia, a team making its sixth consecutive World Cup appearance. Coached by Tony Popovic, Australia qualified from the Asian qualifiers after finishing behind Japan but ahead of Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, China and Bahrain.
Australia's squad includes Parma defender Alessandro Circati, Feyenoord's Jordan Bos and Watford forward Nestory Irankunda, while Aziz Behich brings experience and a familiar link for Turkish football fans after spending years playing in Türkiye.
Paraguay returns to the World Cup after 16 years away. The South American side, coached by Gustavo Alfaro, finished sixth in regional qualifying, collecting 28 points from 18 matches. Paraguay's best World Cup run came in 2010, when they reached the quarterfinals before losing 1-0 to Spain.
However, Paraguay heads into the tournament with fitness concerns over two key players.
Brighton midfielder Diego Gomez's availability remains uncertain after an injury, while Strasbourg's Julio Enciso was injured in a 4-0 friendly win over Nicaragua and may only be available later in the group stage.
Palmeiras players Mauricio and Ramon Sosa are also listed among the team's important names.
The United States, one of the three host nations, will play in the World Cup for the 12th time. Led by Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino, the U.S. qualified automatically as a co-host and will face Türkiye, Paraguay and Australia in a group that includes teams from Europe, South America, Asia and North America.
The U.S. squad features Milan forward Christian Pulisic, Monaco striker Folarin Balogun, PSV forward Ricardo Pepi, Juventus midfielder Weston McKennie, Bayer Leverkusen's Malik Tillman, Marseille's Timothy Weah and Leeds United's Brenden Aaronson.
Türkiye's World Cup story includes two previous tournament appearances on the field. In 1954, the national team lost to West Germany, beat South Korea 7-0 and then lost again to West Germany in a deciding match.
The country's most memorable run came in 2002. Türkiye advanced from a group featuring Brazil, Costa Rica and China, then beat co-host Japan 1-0 in the round of 16. In the quarterfinals, Ilhan Mansiz scored the golden goal against Senegal to send Türkiye into the semifinals.
After losing 1-0 to Brazil, Türkiye defeated co-host South Korea 3-2 in the third-place match to claim bronze. That remains the country's best World Cup finish.
Türkiye will open Group D play against Australia on June 13 at BC Place Stadium in Vancouver, Canada, at 9 p.m. local time (4 a.m. GMT on June 14).
The Crescent-Stars are also scheduled to face Paraguay on June 19 before taking on the co-host nation, the United States, on June 25.
For Türkiye, the group stage will mark both a return to the World Cup after more than two decades and the beginning of a new test for a squad built around experienced leaders and a younger generation playing at major European clubs.
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