Turkey name 26-man squad for FIFA World Cup 2026 ft. Arda Guler
(Courtesy : Getty)
The Crescent-Star returns to the World Cup for the first time since 2002.
Turkey’s first FIFA World Cup since 2002 will be headlined by stars Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz. Manager Vincenzo Montella has now named his final 26-man roster for the tournament.
For the first time since placing third in 2002, Turkey are returning to the FIFA World Cup. After placing second in Group E behind Spain, the team under Italian manager Vincenzo Montella advanced to the European play-offs and earned a World Cup ticket after defeating Romania (1-0) and Kosovo (1-0).
Turkish champions Baris Alper Yillmaz and Yunus Akgun are part of the attack, while 21-year-olds Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz are also named. Former Benfica winger Kerem Akturkoglu, who scored the game-winning goal against Kosovo in the World Cup play-offs, is a contender to be the team’s primary striker. He is expected to compete with Deniz Gul, a striker for Porto, for the starting position.
Can Uzun of Eintracht Frankfurt joins the team following a stellar season in which he assisted five goals and scored ten goals in 27 appearances across all competitions. Alongside captain Hakan Calhanoglu, Uzun, who can also play as a striker, joins the midfield.
Yusuf Akcicek of Al-Ahli, Aral Simsir of FC Midtjylland, who contributed to 23 goals the previous season, Atakan Karazor of Stuttgart, and Ahmetcan Kaplan of Ajax are notable absences from Montella’s roster.
The final four players who were left out were Yusuf Sari (Istanbul Basaksehir), Mustafa Eskihellac (Trabzonspor), Demir Ege Tiknaz (Braga), and Muhammad Sengezer (Istanbul Basaksehir).
Turkey’s final squad for FIFA World Cup 2026
Goalkeepers: Ugurcan Cakir (Galatasaray), Altay Bayindir (Manchester United), Mert Gunok (Besiktas)
Defenders: Ferdi Kadioglu (Brighton), Merih Demiral (Al Ahli), Zeki Celik (Roma), Ozan Kabak (Hoffenheim), Mert Muldur (Fenerbahce), Abdulkerim Bardakci (Galatasaray), Eren Elmali (Galatasaray), Caglar Soyuncu (Fenerbahce), Samet Akaydin (Rizespor)
Midfielders: Arda Guler (Real Madrid), Can Uzun (Eintracht Frankfurt), Orkun Kokcu (Besiktas), Hakan Calhanoglu (Inter), Ismail Yuksek (Fenerbahce), Kaan Ayhan (Galatasaray), Salih Ozcan (Borussia Dortmund)
Forwards: Kenan Yildiz (Juventus), Baris Alper Yilmaz (Galatasaray), Kerem Akturkoglu (Fenerbahce), Yunus Akgun (Galatasaray), Oguz Aydin (Fenerbahce), Deniz Gul (Porto), Irfan Can Kahveci (Fenerbahce)
Which group are Turkey in?
They are in Group D.
When is their first game?
14th June, 9:30 am IST.
When was the last time Turkey played in the World Cup?
In 2002.
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After earning a bachelor's degree in mass media, Rajarshi began his career as a sports writer in 2019, driven by his passion for sports journalism. He has been working in the field for over six years. A devoted fan of Lionel Messi and Barcelona, Rajarshi has been involved in sports since childhood. Before turning his focus to journalism, he even represented his college at the state level. Along with covering football, he enjoys playing the game, watching movies, and experimenting with new recipes in his spare time, as cooking is one of his favorite hobbies.