The Turkish national team booked its place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup following a narrow 1-0 victory over Kosovo in the European playoff final, marking their return to football’s biggest stage for the first time since their historic run in 2002.

Historic Qualifying Goal

Turkey’s triumph came courtesy of star player Kerem Aktürkçoğlu, who netted the only goal in the 53rd minute, sparking celebrations among Turkish fans. Kosovo’s dream of reaching a major tournament for the first time in its history ended, nearly a decade after officially joining FIFA and UEFA.

Tough Road to Qualification

Turkey’s path to the World Cup wasn’t easy. In the playoff semi-final, they defeated hosts Romania 1-0, thanks to a goal by defender Ferdi Kadıoğlu of Brighton. Kosovo had created a major upset in their semi-final by defeating Slovakia 4-3 in Bratislava before falling to Turkey in the final hurdle.

Balanced Group in the Finals

With this qualification, Turkey joins Group D at the 2026 World Cup, alongside:

• United States (host)
• Paraguay
• Australia

Turkey aims to rekindle its global presence and repeat the surprise success of 2002 in South Korea and Japan, where they finished third, relying on a new generation of stars competing in Europe’s top leagues.