The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has rejected a request by Juventus to recall 20-year-old forward Kenan Yıldız from international duty ahead of Türkiye’s crucial final round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup 2026 European Qualifiers campaign.
The decision underscores Türkiye’s clear priority: the home-grown midfielder, now a national team mainstay, stays with the national squad as the Crescent-Stars prepare for a showdown with Spain.
The match takes place on Tuesday at Spain’s Estadio La Cartuja in Seville.
Spain enter with a flawless record: five wins in Group E, scoring 19 and conceding none.
Türkiye sit second with 12 points from five matches, and their only realistic route into the World Cup via automatic qualification requires a virtually impossible scenario.
By refusing Juventus’s recall request, the TFF signals Türkiye will field their strongest available side, embracing the long-shot chance of direct qualification, or at least entering the play-offs with conviction.
Head coach Vincenzo Montella has transformed Türkiye into a more cohesive, attacking outfit blending youth and experience.
Under him, the side has taken four of five qualifiers. Türkiye’s 2-0 victory over Bulgaria on Saturday secured their berth in the UEFA play-offs.
Now, Montella must balance urgency with injury caution, for the line-up he fields in Seville may set the tone for March’s play-offs.
Türkiye arrive in Spain with key absences: midfielder Hakan Çalhanoğlu was released from the squad after a wrist injury.
Defender Kaan Ayhan is out with a groin problem, and wingers Kerem Aktürkoğlu and Abdülkerim Bardakcı trained separately after picking up knocks.
Meanwhile, winger Oğuz Aydın and Aktürkoğlu all sit one yellow card away from suspension, meaning caution will be required if Türkiye go deep into the playoffs.
Yıldız joined Juventus from Bayern Munich’s academy in 2022, and this season has broken through, reportedly five goals and three assists in 14 Serie A appearances.
The Italian club, juggling domestic and Champions League commitments, pressed the TFF for Yıldız’s early release.
According to Italian and Turkish media, Juventus’s appeal was swiftly declined.
One TFF source said: “Kenan is vital for our ambitions; he stays until the final whistle in Seville.”
The message is clear: the national cause trumps club convenience.
How Türkiye can ram the door open
Realistically, Türkiye’s automatic qualification possibility is slim: with Spain unbeaten and boasting a healthy goal-difference cushion, Türkiye would need to win by seven goals or more to leapfrog them.
But Yıldız offers a spark.
Montella described him as “mature beyond his years... his performance against Bulgaria showed why he’s one of Europe’s brightest talents.”
Türkiye will lean on his creativity to unlock Spain’s rigid defence, marshalled by Aymeric Laporte and Rodri.
Spain, unbeaten in 30 matches, are heavy favourite but remain alert to complacency.
