Turkey – or Turkiye as the country now prefers to be called – are ready to party like it’s 2002 after their new ‘golden generation’ secured a long-awaited 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. This series was also notable for Hakan Sukur scoring the fastest goal in World Cup history (11 seconds) in the third-place play-off victory over co-hosts South Korea.
Sukur, arguably the greatest Turkish player of all time, will be in the United States during the tournament, but not as a pundit or member of the coaching staff. Instead, since moving to California, he has run a cafe and worked as an Uber driver after fleeing his homeland following a rift with his former ally-turned-enemy, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
Sukur, once part of Erdogan’s ruling party, was reportedly punished for his association with Fethullah Gülen, whom Erdogan accused of masterminding the failed 2016 coup. Since then, Sukur, still his country’s all-time top scorer, has been erased from Turkish football history.
The undoing of his legacy was laid bare during the play-off match against Romania earlier this year, when he was left out of the tifo honoring the 2002 team. As a proud Turk, he will always be willing to see the Class of 2026 leave its mark.
He might even attend a match, as two of Turkiye’s group matches will take place in California. If he does, he will see the best team in the country since the summer of 2002, according to Ahmet Bob Turgut, a Turkish-American, who managed the team Turkish football podcast for 10 years.
“This has to be the best team since 2002 because we have never had so many young stars coming from the bottom together,” says Ahmet, a journalist who moved to the United States when he was 16 before starting a website about Turkish soccer.
“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 is the captain, Hakan Calhanoglu [of Inter Milan]one of the oldest players on the team [at 32]. This may be his last World Cup. With goalkeeper Ugurcan Cakır from Galatasaray, we have one of the 10 best goalkeepers in Europe. This is the golden generation.”
The magic of Montella
They also have a manager, Italian Vincenzo Montella, who is compared to their best coach ever, Fatih Terim, who led Turkiye to the semi-finals of Euro 2008.
“He is 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 United States to play matches in Baltimore and Connecticut. [against the US and Mexico]and I saw the fire when I spoke to the young players.
“I said to Vincenzo Montella at the press conference: ‘This is the golden generation, they have to be at the World Cup. What would you do to put this team at the World Cup?’ He said: “I’m going to give 150 percent. »
“Then in the play-offs they did well against Romania, then beat Kosovo in difficult conditions. There was enormous pressure. Montella was also under pressure, with 85 million people wanting you to go to the World Cup.”
With the pressure of qualification off, Turkey prepares for a competitive but winnable group including the United States, Paraguay and Australia. So, is a repeat of 2002 possible?
“Leaving the group should be no problem,” says Ahmet confidently. “The first two matches against Australia and Paraguay, Turkey should have no problems. The last match against the USA in Los Angeles could be for first place.
“I have a feeling Turkiye will finish first. The round of 16 would be a success, but if we see Turkiye in the quarter-finals it wouldn’t be a surprise.”
Turkish support
The team can expect a lot of support, provided they don’t get discouraged by the controversial prices. Ahmet, who lives in Rochester, New York, says: “They [be there] but a lot of people talk about the price of tickets and the price of parking. They are scandalous.
“There are nearly 450,000 Turks living in the United States. There are many on the West Coast, including San Francisco and Los Angeles. And many Turkish-Americans will be traveling to Vancouver for the first game.
“The U.S. government is also handing out 60,000 World Cup visas to people wanting to come from Turkey. I think, especially for the U.S. game 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.”
As an American citizen and former player, coach and referee, Ahmet is well placed to assess the growth of football in the country. “What I have witnessed from the 1970s to today is that football has grown 1,000 percent,” he says.
“After the 1994 World Cup and the birth of MLS, they did a superb job in soccer in the United States. MLS grew every year. They started with 10 teams. [it now has 30].
“[David] Beckham’s 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, MLS is doing very well.”
Many problems
Ahmet is not very positive about the US national team, led by Mauricio Pochettino. He said: “Besides the kid [Christian] Pulisic, they don’t have a solid team, they are in difficulty.
“Pochettino, even though he has coached many teams in Europe, finds it difficult to coach the national team. I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t reach the next round. But the fans love the team. Even in friendlies they fill the stadium.”
In a perfect world, the focus would be on on-field matters, but given the disputes over tickets and travel to stadiums, as well as the ongoing political unrest amid the war in Iran, this is unrealistic.
“Hardcore fans will be able to attend the matches in one way or another,” says Ahmet. “For the last group match [between Turkiye and the US]Los Angeles traffic will be heavy and some people will be walking instead of driving or taking a taxi!
“But I think safety will be the priority. There should be no problems. Overall, I think it will be a very good World Cup.”
Follow Ahmet on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook And x.
Get the latest World Cup news delivered straight to your inbox by signing up now to our Make Football Great Again newsletter!
