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Türkiye’s national football team began its 2026 FIFA World Cup European qualifying campaign on Thursday with a 3-2 away win over Georgia in Group E.
The match, held at the Boris Paichadze National Stadium in Tbilisi, saw Türkiye take a two-goal lead by halftime and hold off a late challenge despite being reduced to ten men in the second half.
Defender Mert Muldur gave Türkiye the perfect start, scoring in the third minute to put his side ahead. Forward Kerem Akturkoglu extended the lead with a goal in the 41st minute, sending Türkiye into the break with a 2-0 advantage.
Akturkoglu added his second of the night in the 52nd minute, assisted by Yunus Akgun. The young forward has now scored 14 goals in 45 international appearances for Türkiye, solidifying his role as one of the team’s key attacking options.
The match grew more tense in the 71st minute when midfielder Baris Alper Yilmaz was sent off after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review of his challenge on Georgia’s Giorgi Kochorashvili. The dismissal left Türkiye to finish the game with ten players.
Georgia’s head coach, Willy Sagnol, was also shown a red card for protesting the decision.
Following the victory, Türkiye will face Spain, the reigning European champions, in its second Group E match. The game is scheduled for Sunday, September 7, at Medas Stadium in Konya, kicking off at 9:45 p.m. local time (GMT+3).
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