Turkey

Turkiye finished third at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and reached the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2008, making them one of the more successful UEFA nations to have gone largely unnoticed by the wider football world during the same period.

The Crescent Stars under Vincenzo Montella, the former Italian striker, have assembled a young and technically gifted generation built on the Super Lig and a growing number of players from the Bundesliga and Premier League. Hakan Calhanoglu, who captains Inter Milan’s midfield with the technical confidence of one of Europe’s best deep-lying playmakers, is the team’s central figure. His passing range, set-piece quality, and reading of space in front of the defence make him the kind of player who can control the tempo of a major tournament match. Arda Guler, the Real Madrid midfielder who emerged at just 19 with a European Championship goal against Georgia at Euro 2024, provides the young creative talent the team has waited a decade for.

Turkiye’s 2002 World Cup run is their historical benchmark. Third-place after defeating South Korea 3-2 in Osaka, with Hasan Sas and Yildiray Basturk creating moments of genuine brilliance. Ilhan Mansiz scored the golden goal against Senegal in the quarter-final. That team, which also included Rustu Recber, Alpay Ozalan, and Emre Belozoglu, was the most complete Turkish side of any generation.

Euro 2024 provided a reminder of the current generation’s potential. Turkiye reached the quarter-finals before losing 2-1 to the Netherlands in Berlin, with Arda Guler and Calhanoglu both influential throughout.

Turkiye operates on Turkey Time, UTC+3, with no daylight saving. A 20:45 kickoff in Istanbul or Ankara is 17:45 in London and 12:45 in New York. Check Turkey time for your local conversion.