Article by Alexandru Tomuțiu – Published Tuesday, 02 June 2026, 13:02 / Updated Tuesday, 02 June 2026 13:21
Turkey, the national team that eliminated Romania from the World Cup bracket, score 1-0, announced the group of 26 players with which it will attack the final tournament.
Coach Vincenzo Montella decided to drop 9 players who were on the initial roster. They are Ersin Destanoglu, Muhammed Sengezer, Ahmetcan Kaplan, Mustafa Eskihellac, Yusuf Akcicek, Atakan Karazor, Demir Ege, Aral Simsir and Yusuf Sari.
The final list includes 26 players. The goalkeeping department consists of Altay Bayindir, Mert Gunok and Ugurcan Cakir, while Hakan Calhanoglu, Arda Guler, Kenan Yildiz and Kerem Akturkoglu are the stars of the team.
In midfield, Hakan Calhanoglu, Ismail Yuksek, Kaan Ayhan, Orkun Kokcu and Salih Ozcan were selected. In terms of attacking options, the squad includes Arda Guler, Baris Alper Yilmaz, Can Uzun, Deniz Gul, Irfan Can Kahveci, Kenan Yildiz, Kerem Akturkoglu, Oguz Aydin and Yunus Akgun.
Turkey's World Cup squad
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Goalkeepers: Ugurcan Cakir (Galatasaray), Altay Bayindir (Manchester United), Mert Gunok (Besiktas)
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defense: 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).
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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)
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Strikers: Kenan Yildiz (Juventus), Baris Alper Yilmaz (Galatasaray), Kerem Akturkoglu (Fenerbahce), Yunus Akgun (Galatasaray), Oguz Aydin (Fenerbahce), Deniz Gul (Porto), Irfan Can Kahveci (Fenerbahce)
After eliminating Romania in the semi-finals, Turkey played in the final against the national team from Kosovo. Vincenzo Montella's team won 1-0 away, qualifying for the final tournament.
