Türkiye one win away from ending 24-year World Cup wait

ISTANBUL

Türkiye wants to be back in the World Cup twenty-four years after a third-place finish in 2002, with Kosovo the last hurdle on its way.

Türkiye travels to Pristina on March 31 to face Kosovo in the UEFA World Cup playoff final, standing just 90 minutes away from ending nearly a quarter-century of exile from football’s biggest stage.

Since its historic run to the semifinals in South Korea and Japan in 2002, Türkiye has watched five consecutive World Cups from the sidelines. However, under coach Vincenzo Montella, the Turkish side has transitioned into a "Golden Generation" anchored by elite young talent.

The path to the final was secured on March 26 with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Romania in Istanbul. The match was decided by a moment of brilliance from Real Madrid’s 21-year-old playmaker Arda Güler, who lofted a pinpoint pass for Ferdi Kadıoğlu to slot home.

"Our only objective is to return Türkiye to where it belongs," said captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu. "I have won trophies at the club level, but leading this team to a World Cup as captain is the only thing missing from my career."

Montella said every match needs a different kind of approach, and his side should concentrate fully to advance.

"In these two years on this journey, we have experienced moments of great happiness as well as moments of sadness," Montella said of the World Cup qualifying process.

"Those setbacks taught us a great deal. Our country has been unable to participate in the tournament for many years. This is our goal and our dream. Hopefully, we can qualify for the World Cup for our nation and make everyone happy."

While Türkiye enters the game as the favorite, the venue presents a formidable hurdle. The 13,500-capacity Fadil Vokrri Stadium in Pristina has become a graveyard for European giants. Kosovo, seeking its first-ever World Cup appearance, arrives with massive momentum after a chaotic 4-3 semifinal win over Slovakia.

There is also an emotional undercurrent to the fixture. Kosovo’s football federation recently reminded fans that in 2014, two years before Kosovo was even recognized by FIFA, Türkiye was the first major nation to travel to Mitrovica for a friendly.

"They showed up for us when no one else would," the federation said in a social media statement. "Now, we meet for the ultimate prize."

A place in World Cup’s Group D alongside the United States, Australia and Paraguay awaits the winner of the clash in Pristina.

In other playoff matches, Gennaro Gattuso, a 2006 World Cup winner, is trying to lead Italy back to the tournament after the Azzurri missed out on the 2018 and 2022 editions as they play Bosnia and Hercegovina in Zenica.

Graham Potter’s Sweden will be at home in Stockholm against a Poland side seeking to go to a third successive World Cup.

The Czechs, who rallied from two goals down to get past the Republic of Ireland on penalties, will stay in Prague as a fancied Denmark attempt to crash the party.