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The Turkish national football team drew 2-2 with Spain on Tuesday in the final matchday of Group E in the 2026 FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers, clinching second place and a playoff berth.
With the result, Türkiye finished the group stage with 13 points from four wins, one draw, and one loss. Group leaders Spain topped the standings with 16 points.
The visitors opened the scoring in the 54th minute after an intense spell of pressure. Ferdi Kadioglu sent in a cross from the left, which Orkun Kokcu controlled with his chest and laid off to Salih Ozcan.
The midfielder struck a clean, powerful shot from just outside the penalty area that beat Spain’s goalkeeper, Unai Simon, to the right corner.
Spain responded in the 62nd minute. A cross from Marc Cucurella deflected off Turkish defender Caglar Soyuncu, eventually landing at the feet of Mikel Oyarzabal.
After a scramble that included a clearance attempt by Merih Demiral, the ball deflected off Soyuncu again, and Oyarzabal slotted it into the open net for the equalizer.
Earlier, Türkiye nearly doubled its lead in the 53rd minute when Orkun delivered a free kick from the right side. The bouncing ball reached Baris Alper Yilmaz at the far post, who attempted an overhead kick. Unai Simon reacted quickly to tip the shot out for a corner.
In the 50th minute, Irfan Can Kahveci received a sharp through ball from Orkun and broke into the penalty area, but his shot was stopped by Simon.
Türkiye had another chance in the 67th minute, when Baris Alper fired a strong shot from the edge of the box, only for Simon to deny him once more.
Spain came close to stealing a late win in stoppage time when Alejandro Baena’s long-range shot was saved by Turkish goalkeeper Altay Bayindir, who pushed the effort out for a corner in the 90+2nd minute.
The match ended 2-2, confirming Spain’s place as group winners and sending Türkiye to the playoff round.
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Türkiye will now compete in the UEFA playoff semifinals for a chance to qualify for the 2026 World Cup. Possible opponents include Sweden, Romania, North Macedonia, or Northern Ireland.
The playoff draw will be held in Zurich on Thursday, Nov. 20.
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