Turkey Announces 35-Man Squad for 2026 World Cup
Turkey has unveiled its 35-man squad for the 2026 World Cup, with coach Vincenzo Montella set to narrow it down to 26 players.
The 35-player squad for the Turkish national team has been revealed ahead of the 2026 World Cup. Coach Vincenzo Montella has selected 35 players for the initial roster.
Down to 26
The final 26-player squad for the World Cup will be selected from this larger group.
The World Cup, set to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, will feature a roster of 26 players per team.
Final Preparations on ATV
Turkey will play two preparatory matches before the World Cup.
The Turkish national team, known as the Ay-yıldızlar, will face North Macedonia and Venezuela in their World Cup preparation.
The matches against North Macedonia and Venezuela will be broadcast on ATV.
Names in the 35-Man Squad:
Goalkeepers: Altay Bayındır, Ersin Destanoğlu, Mert Günok, Muhammed Şengezer, Uğurcan Çakır
Defenders: Abdülkerim Bardakcı, Ahmetcan Kaplan, Çağlar Söyüncü, Eren Elmalı, Ferdi Kadıoğlu, Merih Demiral, Mert Müldür, Mustafa Eskihellaç, Ozan Kabak, Samet Akaydin, Yusuf Akçiçek, Zeki Çelik
Midfielders: Atakan Karazor, Demir Ege Tıknaz, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, İsmail Yüksek, Kaan Ayhan, Orkun Kökçü, Salih Özcan
Forwards: Aral Şimşir, Arda Güler, Barış Alper Yılmaz, Can Uzun, Deniz Gül, İrfan Can Kahveci, Kenan Yıldız, Kerem Aktürkoğlu, Oğuz Aydın, Yunus Akgün, Yusuf Sarı
Group Stage Rivals
Turkey will compete in Group D of the 2026 World Cup.
The Ay-yıldızlar will face the United States, Paraguay, and Australia in the group stage.
Montella's squad is stacked with talent, but can they finally break into the World Cup's later stages? It's time for Turkey to make a statement on the global stage. Can they rise to the occasion?