World Cup Group D view from Turkey: young team can shake off ‘dark horses’ tag | Emre Sarigul

Australia, the US and Paraguay will have their work cut out to match the Crescent Stars’ young midfield but a shaky defence is a genuine concern

Turkey coach Vincenzo Montella has been building https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/may/31/turkey-world-cup-2026-team-guide">one of the nation’s strongest teams in living memory.

A youth-driven squad with two genuine stars – Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz – several players were not even born when the Crescent Stars last https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/apr/01/vincenzo-montella-turkey-return-world-cup-2026">qualified for a World Cup and finished third in 2002.

In past tournaments, Turkey were often labelled as “dark horses” – which turned out to be more of a curse than a blessing.

This time, Montella has constructed a squad that sits among those on the rung below heavyweights Spain, France and Argentina.