Türkiye Tuesday announced its 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, confirming the group that will represent the national team at the tournament hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.
Head coach Vincenzo Montella has finalized a balanced roster built on a mix of Europe-based talent and leading players from Türkiye’s top clubs as the team prepares for its first World Cup appearance since 2002.
Standby players
Goalkeeper Muhammed Şengezer, along with Aral Şimşir and Demir Ege Tıknaz, were not included in the final 26.
However, they will still travel to the U.S. as standby options under FIFA regulations that allow injury replacements before a team’s first match, and for goalkeepers throughout the tournament.
Departure and final warm-up
The squad departs at 13:30 local time today for its base camp in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Before the tournament begins, Türkiye will play its final warm-up match against Venezuela on June 7 at Inter Miami Stadium.
Group D challenge
Türkiye has been drawn in Group D alongside Australia, Paraguay and host nation United States. The group stage fixtures are:
June 14: Australia vs Türkiye, Vancouver
June 20: Türkiye vs Paraguay, San Francisco Bay Area
June 26: Türkiye vs United States, Los Angeles
The 26-man squad
Goalkeepers
Altay Bayındır (Manchester United), Mert Günok (Fenerbahçe), Uğurcan Çakır (Galatasaray)
Defenders
Abdülkerim Bardakcı, Eren Elmalı, Çağlar Söyüncü, Mert Müldür, Ferdi Kadıoğlu, Merih Demiral, Ozan Kabak, Samet Akaydin, Zeki Çelik
Midfielders
Hakan Çalhanoğlu, İsmail Yüksek, Kaan Ayhan, Orkun Kökçü, Salih Özcan
Forwards and attackers
Arda Güler, Kenan Yıldız, Kerem Aktürkoğlu, Barış Alper Yılmaz, Yunus Akgün, Can Uzun, Deniz Gül, İrfan Can Kahveci, Oğuz Aydın
Türkiye enters the tournament with growing expectations after a strong qualifying campaign and a steady rise under Montella. The squad’s attacking core, led by Arda Güler and Kenan Yıldız, is seen as the centerpiece of a new generation aiming to push beyond the group stage.
