This article contains adult content that may be inappropriate for minors. Please confirm that you are 18 years or older to continue. This article contains images or details that some readers may find disturbing. Reader discretion is advised. After finishing in 3rd place in 2002 and making their debut in 1954, Turkey is back at the World Cup in 2026 and can thank the duo of players who left Benfica last summer: Orkun Kokçu and Kerem Akturkoglu. The two prevented Kosovo from achieving their dream of debuting in a World Cup (they were the only team that could still make their debut this year). In a tightly contested match marked by nerves, Kosovo came very close to scoring in the 28th minute: Fisnik Asllani shot, leading to a stunning save by Ugurcan Çakir, who deflected the ball onto the crossbar. The start of the second half was crucial for this chapter in history. Turkey entered determined, and just 8 minutes later, Kokçu missed a shot, but the ball found his former Benfica teammate, Akturkoglu, who was in the right place at the right time to tap it in. Until the end, one could ask: 'How do you say “bus” in Turkish?' Because that was the strategy of Vincenzo Montella's team (parking the bus), which effectively called upon the spirit of catenaccio to hold onto their slim but decisive lead. In the 89th minute, FC Porto player Deniz Gul came on and helped secure the much-desired qualification. Turkey, marked by this generation of two former Benfica players, the stars of the present and future, Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz, and the unquestionable leader Hakan Çalhanoglu, is thus placed in Group D of the World Cup, alongside the United States, Paraguay, and Australia.
Smell of Benfica World Cup After remains central to this story.
Smell of Benfica World Cup After remains central to this story.
Read more in football news. and related tags: Smell of Benfica, World Cup After.