Turkey
TUR · UEFA
Head Coach
Vincenzo Montella
Vincenzo Montella leads Turkey into the 2026 FIFA World Cup, tasked with guiding the squad through a competitive Group D and beyond. The coaching staff has been preparing tactical approaches tailored to the expanded 48-team tournament format.
Group Stage Venue
New York/New Jersey
Turkey will play their group stage matches in New York/New Jersey. The 2026 World Cup is the first to be hosted across three nations — the United States, Mexico, and Canada — with matches spread across 16 world-class venues.
Squad (26 players)
Goalkeepers
Defenders
Midfielders
Forwards
Recent Form & Current State
Turkey qualified through UEFA qualification and impressed at Euro 2024, reaching the quarterfinals. Under Vincenzo Montella, the team features an exciting generation of young talent led by Arda Güler and Kenan Yıldız. They return to the World Cup after missing 2018 and 2022.
Form heading into a major tournament is often a key indicator of how far a team can progress. Turkey, currently ranked #22 in the FIFA World Rankings, will look to carry momentum from their recent qualifying and friendly campaigns into the group stage. Consistency in results and squad cohesion built during the qualification cycle will be vital assets. The UEFArepresentatives will be eager to demonstrate their quality on the world's biggest stage in 2026.
World Cup History
Turkey have appeared in two World Cups (1954 and 2002). Their best finish was third place in 2002, one of the great surprises in World Cup history. They have struggled to qualify consistently despite their large talent pool.
The FIFA World Cup is the pinnacle of international football, and Turkey's history in the competition provides important context for their 2026 campaign. With the tournament expanding to 48 teams for the first time, every nation faces both new opportunities and new challenges in the revamped group stage format featuring groups of four with the top two advancing to a 32-team knockout round. Turkey will aim to write a new chapter in their World Cup story at this historic edition of the tournament.
Group D Opponents
Turkey faces United States and Australia and Paraguay in Group D. The top two teams from each group advance to the Round of 32. Group dynamics, head-to-head records, and tactical matchups will all play a role in determining which teams progress from this stage.