Türkiye eyes win at home over Georgia

ISTANBUL

Türkiye hosts Georgia in a qualifying stage match on Oct. 14 in its bid to earn a berth in the 2026 World Cup.

Türkiye is bidding to reach the World Cup for just the second time after making its only previous appearance in 2002, when it made a memorable run to finish in third place in Japan and South Korea.

Vincenzo Montella’s men started their 2026 qualifying campaign with two wins and one defeat, including a narrow 3-2 away victory over Georgia on matchday.

While they were outclassed in a 6-0 defeat against Spain in September, the Turkish men returned to winning ways in emphatic fashion in Oct. 11's away clash against bottom-placed side Bulgaria.

Türkiye scored five second-half goals to clinch a dominant 6-1 victory in Sofia, where Kenan Yıldız netted a brace alongside efforts from Arda Güler, Zeki Çelik and İrfan Can Kahveci, as well as a Viktor Popov own goal.

With three games left to play, Türkiye looks set to fight it out with Georgia for second spot and a place in the playoffs, with Spain three points clear at the top of the group and on course to seal automatic qualification.

Montella highlighted the importance of the Georgia match after the win over Bulgaria.

“From this moment on, we must focus all our energy on the vital Georgia match,” the Italian coach told a post-game press conference.

“We have achieved many milestones, but our biggest dream is to qualify for the World Cup. Whether we get there through the playoffs or another way remains to be seen based on the results on the field. No matter what happens, we will not give up on our World Cup dreams or ambitions,” he said.

He noted that there may be some changes in the squad against Georgia.

“Today, we once again proved how strong our team is and how deep our roster goes,” Montella said.

“We'll make some changes for the next game. Everyone put in a lot of effort, so it's possible that some players are fatigued,” he added.

There will surely be at least two changes: İrfan Can Kahveci was removed from the squad due to injury and goalkeeper Berke Özer left the training camp "without permission" after missing out on selection for the team against Bulgaria.

"Berke Özer left our training center after returning to Istanbul, citing his non-selection for yesterday's Bulgaria vs. Türkiye match, without the permission of our staff," the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) said in a statement on Oct. 12.

"While we are striving to qualify for the World Cup, such behavior is unacceptable," it added.

The Lille player said in a post on social media that he had a minor injury before joining the team.

“I was told that the team needed me, but when I realized that it did not, I decided to leave with the knowledge and permission of the coach and his staff,” the 25-year-old said.

The Group E match between Türkiye and Georgia kicks off at 21:45 local time at the Kocaeli Stadium.

Spain hosts Bulgaria in Valladolid in the group’s other match.