TURKEY

“The last time we were able to go to the World Cup, I didn’t even exist,” Guler said after Turkey had qualified for the tournament for the first time since 2002 – and the Real Madrid man is the undisputed face of this side. After proving himself at one of the biggest clubs in the world and shining for the national team he is now preparing to take centre stage in his biggest test yet. “We are talking about an undisputed, elite world-class talent,” is how Thierry Henry recently described the Turkish attacking midfielder. The 21-year-old may have a babyface but he is no pushover and not a luxury player. The midfielder was involved in a staggering 44 percent of the Red-Whites goals in games he played in for the 2025-26 qualifying campaign and he showed his passion and precociousness in the Champions League quarter-final away leg against Bayern. First he scored an outrageous long-range goal in the first minute, then a second within half an hour before getting sent off in added-on time for dissent.

Never one to shy away from self adulation, Calhanoglu has a reputation as being a free-kick master - despite not having a great scoring record from setpieces - and in 2024 described himself as “the best deep-lying playmaker in the world right now”. Rodri was second on Calhanoglu’s list and Toni Kroos third. "I may be further away from the box now," he says of his more defensive role, "but I have greater control over the game." To be fair, he was instrumental as Inter reached the Champions League final in 2025 and, although he has never quite replicated his club form at international level, the fact that the spotlight will be on Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz this summer may have a liberating effect on him.

All eyes will be on Guler but Yildiz could end up stealing the show this summer with his raw power, skill and speed set to trouble USA, Australia and Paraguay. Alessandro Del Piero, whose iconic tongue-out celebration Yıidiz has adopted, has been full of praise. "He has a personality that defies his age," Del Piero said. "When I see him play, I see a bit of myself, but he has his own unique magic." The 21-year-old is in red hot form heading into the World Cup, having tormented defenders both domestically and internationally in 2025-26. Make no mistake, Yildiz has just as much potential as Guler to shine this summer. Born in Germany to a Turkish father and German mother, he made his international debut for Turkey – and scored – against Germany in Berlin during a 3-2 win. One of his parents was at the game. “My dad was there, which meant a lot to me," he told Fifa.com. "My mother couldn't make it because we have a small dog and she had to stay at home, so she was watching on TV. I think they were both very proud of me.”