Turkey secured their place at the World Cup for the first time in 24 years thanks to a slim victory over Kosovo in a decisive playoff clash. Their last appearance came in 2002, when they achieved a third-place finish, and they will now compete in Group C alongside Australia, Paraguay, and hosts the United States.
The crucial moment arrived early in the second half when Kenan Yildiz delivered a cutback into the area. Orkun Kokcu’s mishit attempt fell kindly to Kerem Akturkoglu, who converted from close range at the far post in the 53rd minute to give his side the lead.
The match in Pristina was tightly contested, with few clear chances. Kosovo came closest before the break when Fisnik Asllani’s effort was pushed onto the crossbar by goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakir. Despite limited attacking output beyond their goal, Turkey maintained their advantage until the final whistle.
Qualification achieved after years of setbacks
This result marked Turkey’s third qualification for the World Cup and brought an end to a sequence of five unsuccessful campaigns. Their most recent attempt four years earlier ended in disappointment after a play-off semifinal loss to Portugal.
During the current qualifying process, Turkey showed promise by winning four of their opening six matches but ultimately missed automatic progression, finishing three points behind group winners Spain. This forced them into the play-off route once again.
Their journey included a narrow 1-0 win over Romania in the semifinal, with Ferdi Kadioglu playing a key role. That victory set up the decisive match against Kosovo, where Turkey entered as strong favorites given their higher world ranking and experienced squad.
The team, featuring notable players such as Arda Guler and Hakan Calhanoglu, also carried confidence from their recent run to the quarter-finals of the 2024 European Championship, where they were eliminated by the Netherlands.
Kosovo falls short after historic rise
Kosovo’s hopes of reaching their first major tournament came to an end despite a determined campaign. Their progress is notable given that they were only admitted to FIFA and UEFA competitions in 2016 and played their first World Cup qualifier less than a decade ago.
The nation, which declared independence in 2008, played its first officially recognized match in March 2014, drawing 0-0 with Haiti. Their second outing ended in a heavy defeat to Turkey, highlighting the gap they have since worked to close.
In this qualification cycle, Kosovo finished just three points behind Switzerland in their group, narrowly missing automatic qualification. They then advanced through the play-offs by defeating Slovakia 4-3 in an exciting semifinal.
However, in the decisive match against Turkey, they were unable to find a breakthrough, bringing an end to their ambitions of making a historic debut on football’s biggest stage.