Türkiye’s World Cup 2026 Hopes Rest on Arda Güler and Kenan Yildiz

Türkiye are readying themselves for their first World Cup since 2002 — and considering they finished third in that tournament in Japan and South Korea, it is quite remarkable that it has been their only World Cup appearance since 1954, until now.

They came through the UEFA play-offs, beating Romania and Kosovo to book their place in the United States, Mexico, and Canada. The nation — which officially requested to be referred to as Türkiye in a letter to the United Nations in 2022, partly to distance itself from the bird of the same name — is ready to compete again.

The tag that has followed them into major tournaments for years is ‘dark horse’. It is a reputation born from their capacity to exceed expectations — as they spectacularly did in 2002 — and it has followed Vincenzo Montella’s side into 2026. But there are two reasons why this summer could represent something more significant than that label implies.

Arda Güler and Kenan Yildiz are both 21 years old. They had some impact as teenagers at Euro 2024, when Türkiye reached the quarter-finals. Now, after breakthrough club campaigns that have established both as genuine elite-level talents, they arrive at the World Cup at exactly the right moment.

Arda Güler: Patience Rewarded at the Highest Level

Güler’s journey to becoming a central figure at Real Madrid required patience. Having started just 18 games in all competitions in 2024-25, he began 40 games for Los Blancos in 2025-26 — impressing new head coach Xabi Alonso early in the season and maintaining that trust when Alonso was replaced by Álvaro Arbeloa in January.

The results were extraordinary. Güler managed 20 goal involvements (6 goals, 14 assists) in 51 outings at club level.

He showed he can be dangerous from almost anywhere. In March, he scored from beyond the halfway line against Elche. In April, in the second leg of Madrid’s Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich, he scored just 35 seconds into the match with a long-range effort, then added a direct free-kick past Manuel Neuer in the same game — though it was not enough for Madrid to advance.

Güler is primarily a creative force rather than a goalscorer. No Real Madrid teammate created more La Liga chances than his 70 — a figure level with Vinícius Júnior — and his nine La Liga assists were the most of any Madrid player. In the Champions League, only Joshua Kimmich (22) and Lamine Yamal (17) made more defensive-line-breaking passes than Güler’s 16 — extraordinary company for a player who was only beginning to establish himself as a first-team regular.

He is very much left-footed: he attempted 43 La Liga shots with his left foot and just five with his right. But when a player’s dominant foot is that good, the absence of a two-footedness concern becomes irrelevant.

Kenan Yildiz: The Star Whose Name Means ‘Star’

Yildiz’s name translates directly as ‘star’ — and the 2025-26 season felt like the campaign in which he genuinely became one.

It followed a solid 2024-25 season in which he played 48 games (38 starts) — more than any Juventus teammate — scoring nine goals, second only to Dušan Vlahović (15) at the club. But this season represented the next level entirely.

Juventus ultimately missed out on Champions League qualification, but Yildiz was one of their standout performers regardless, recording 20 goal involvements in 47 games across all competitions — 11 goals and 9 assists.

The historical context of some of his achievements at Juventus is remarkable. He became only the second Juventus player in the last 50 years to score at least five goals in the first 15 Serie A games of a season before turning 21 — the other being his boyhood hero Alessandro Del Piero (5 in 1994-95). He then became the first non-Italian Juventus player to reach double figures for goals before turning 21 in a Serie A campaign, and just the seventh player overall to do so for the club — the first since Roberto Bettega in 1970-71, who scored 13.

Unlike Güler, Yildiz is more ambipedal. While he primarily favours his right foot — attempting 73 Serie A shots with it this season — he is genuinely comfortable on his left, attempting 23 and scoring four of his seven Serie A goals the previous season with it. Defenders genuinely cannot be sure which way to show him when he is running at them.

Montella has made his admiration clear, recently telling Sky Sport Italia: “He always wants to improve, he’s balanced. There are signs that make you notice him immediately. He never comes off the pitch, he arrives earlier than anyone else and still does. In my opinion, he’s destined to improve even more. He’s devastating in one-on-ones, the opponents can barely get the ball off him. I like to play him on the left, but he also has to come inside and play.”

There are fitness concerns heading into the tournament — Yildiz suffered a calf injury last month and did not feature in the 4-0 friendly win over North Macedonia on Monday — but Montella appears optimistic he will be fit in time for the group stage.

Their Impact for Türkiye Already Established

Both players have already demonstrated they can deliver in a Türkiye shirt. Their contributions across World Cup 2026 qualifying were central to the team’s progression:

Yildiz created 12 open-play chances in qualifying — the most of any Türkiye player — and scored three goals in seven games. Güler’s four assists were the joint-most for the side alongside captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu. Together, they were the creative engine of a qualification campaign that ultimately required the play-offs to complete — but one that confirmed their importance to Montella’s system.

A Potent Partnership Without an Elite Striker

Montella does not have a top-level striker in his squad. That absence could prove a vulnerability — or it could become irrelevant if Güler and Yildiz operate at the level they have shown at club level this season.

With Güler on one wing and Yildiz on the other, whoever plays centrally will receive exceptional service. Güler’s line-breaking passes and assists, Yildiz’s dribbling and two-footedness, and both players’ capacity to create chances from open play in large volumes give this Türkiye attack a genuine threat. The combined total of 12 + 9 = 21 open-play chances created across qualifying, from just two players, tells the story of their importance.

Group games against Australia, Paraguay, and the United States provide a gradual escalation in difficulty and an opportunity to grow into the tournament. If both players are fit, settled, and firing, Türkiye’s group-stage prospects are strong — and the possibility of another deep run begins to look realistic rather than fanciful.

Perhaps the duo can take their country from dark horses to genuine front-runners.

Read More: World Cup 2026: Group D Predictions and Preview

FAQs