Turkey will face Romania in the first phase of the European playoff for the 2026 World Cup. The match is set to take place in Istanbul.
Turkey’s World Cup Ambitions
Turkey are the favourites in their playoff group, which also includes Slovakia and Kosovo, for a place at the 2026 World Cup. This would be their third World Cup appearance. The Turkish squad boasts individual quality and will aim to showcase this against a Romania side hoping to return to the World Cup after 24 years.
Turkey’s chances hinge on the talents of Arda Güler and Kenan Yildiz. They also possess the experience of Hakan Çalhanoglu and Merih Demiral.
Romania’s Quest for a World Cup Return
Romania, lacking the quality of previous generations, need a perfect performance from Ianis Hagi. They will also need striker Dennis Man to be clinical.
How They Reached the Playoff
Turkey finished the group stage of the qualifiers in second place behind Spain. Their last match was a 2-2 draw against Spain in November.
Romania reached the playoff via the Nations League. They finished third in their qualifying group, behind Austria and Bosnia. Their last match was a 7-1 win against San Marino in November.
Previous Encounter
The two sides last met in a friendly in 2017, with Romania winning 2-0.
The match can be viewed on the Plan Premium of Disney+.