Turkey – or Turkiye as the country now prefers to be known – is ready to party like it’s 2002 after its new ‘golden generation’ secured a long-overdue return to the World Cup.
Their shock run to the semi-finals 24 years ago, where they lost to eventual champions Brazil, was remarkably their last appearance at the tournament. That run was also notable for Hakan Sukur scoring the quickest goal in World Cup history (11 seconds) in the third-place play-off victory against co-hosts South Korea.
Sukur, arguably Turkiye’s greatest ever player, will be in the United States during the tournament but not as a pundit or member of the coaching staff. Instead, since settling in California, he has run a cafe and worked as an Uber driver after fleeing his homeland following a rift with his former ally-turned-foe, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Sukur, once part of Erdogan’s ruling party, was reportedly punished for his association with Fethullah Gulen, whom Erdogan blamed for orchestrating the unsuccessful coup of 2016. Since then, Sukur, still his country’s all-time leading scorer, has been erased from Turkish football history.
The cancellation of his legacy was laid bare during the play-off game against Romania earlier this year, when he was omitted from a tifo honouring the 2002 squad. As a proud Turk, he will still be willing to see the class of 2026 make their mark.
He may even get to a game, as two of Turkiye’s group matches are in California. If he does, he will see the country’s finest side since that summer of 2002, according to Ahmet Bob Turgut, a Turkish-American, who has run the Turkish Football Podcast for 10 years.
View 5 ImagesThe legendary team of 2002 that finished third, including captain Hakan Sukur (top right)(Image: ANTONIO SCORZA/AFP via Getty Images)
“This has to be the best team since 2002 because we’ve never had so many young stars who came up from below together,” says Ahmet, a journalist who moved to the US at the age of 16 before setting up a Turkish football website.
“Players like Arde Guler [21], who plays for Real Madrid, and Kenan Yildiz [21], who plays for Juventus. The average is around 24, 25.
“And there’s the captain, Hakan Calhanoglu [of Inter Milan], one of the oldest players on the team [at 32]. This might be his last World Cup. In the goalkeeper, Ugurcan Cakır of Galatasaray, we have one of the top 10 goalkeepers in Europe. This is the golden generation.”
They also have a manager, in Italian Vincenzo Montella, who is being compared to their greatest-ever coach, Fatih Terim, who led Turkiye to the semi-finals of Euro 2008.
“He’s probably the best coach after Fatih Terim,” adds Ahmet. “The players like him, the federation is behind him.
“A year ago, the Turkish national team came to the US to play matches in Baltimore and Connecticut [against the US and Mexico], and I saw the fire when I talked to the young players.
“I said to Vincenzo Montella in the press conference, ‘This is the golden generation, it needs to be at the World Cup. What would you do to put this team at the World Cup?’ He said, ‘I’ll give it 150 per cent.’
“Then, in the play-offs, they looked great against Romania and then beat Kosovo in difficult conditions. There was huge pressure. Montella was under pressure too, with 85million people wanting you to go to the World Cup.”
View 5 ImagesVincenzo Montella (sat down) gets a celebratory shower after leading his team to the World Cup(Image: Serhat Cagdas/Anadolu via Getty Images)
With the pressure of qualification lifted, Turkiye are preparing for a competitive but winnable group containing the USA, Paraguay and Australia. So is a repeat of 2002 on the cards?
“Getting out of the group should be no problem,” says a confident Ahmet. “The first two matches against Australia and Paraguay, Turkiye should not have any problems. The last match against the United States in Los Angeles could be for first place.
“I have a feeling Turkiye will finish on top. The last 16 would be a success but if we see Turkiye in the quarter-finals, it wouldn’t be a surprise.”
View 5 ImagesKenan Yildiz is one of Turkiye’s bright young stars(Image: Hakan Akgun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The team can expect plenty of support, provided they aren’t put off by the controversially high prices. Ahmet, who lives in Rochester, New York, says: “They will [be there] but a lot of people are talking about ticket prices and parking lot prices. They are outrageous.
“There are close to 450,000 Turks living in the United States. There are many on the West Coast, especially in San Francisco and Los Angeles. And many Turkish-Americans will travel to Vancouver for the first match.
“The United States government is also giving out 60,000 World Cup visas to people who want to come from Turkiye. I’m thinking, especially for the US match in Los Angeles, you’ll see a lot of red flags and red uniforms. I think you would have seen even more fans if they were playing on the East Coast.”
View 5 ImagesThere are more than 400,000 Turks in the US(Image: Howard Smith/ISI Photos/USSF/Getty Images)
As a US citizen and former player, coach and referee, Ahmet is well placed to assess the growth of the game in the country. “What I have witnessed since the 70s to now, football has grown 1000 per cent,” he declares.
“After the 1994 World Cup and the MLS was born, they have done a superb job with football/soccer in the United States. The MLS has been growing every year. They started with 10 teams [it now has 30].
“[David] Beckham coming here was a huge success. He helped and MLS made him a big businessman with Inter Miami. And then [Lionel] Messi coming here was the biggest news. Everyone loves Messi. Financially, the MLS is doing great.”
Ahmet isn’t so positive about the US national team, managed by Mauricio Pochettino. He says: “Besides the kid [Christian] Pulisic, they don’t have a firm team, they’re struggling.
“Pochettino, even though he coached many teams in Europe, is having problems coaching the national team. I won’t be surprised if they don’t reach the next round. But the fans love the team. Even in the friendly matches, they fill the stadium.”
In a perfect world, the focus would be firmly on matters on the pitch, but given the row over tickets and travel to stadiums, plus ongoing political turmoil amid the ongoing Iran war, that isn’t realistic.
“The diehard fans will get to the games somehow,” says Ahmet. “For the last group match [between Turkiye and the US], the traffic in LA will be hectic and some people will walk instead of driving or taking a cab!
“But I think the security will be on top of everything. There should be no problems. Overall, I think this will be a really good World Cup.”
Follow Ahmet on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and X.
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