Türkiye’s national team launches its road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a demanding away test against Georgia on Thursday night in Tbilisi – a clash that could set the tone for a qualifying campaign filled with both promise and peril.
The Group E encounter kicks off at 7:00 p.m. local time (TSİ 19.00) at the Boris Paichadze National Stadium.
Drawn into a balanced yet dangerous Group E alongside Georgia, Bulgaria and reigning European champion Spain, Türkiye know the path to North America will be unforgiving.
Only the group winner earns a direct ticket to the expanded 48-team tournament co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada.
The 12 European group winners will qualify automatically, while the runners-up will join four Nations League entrants in a March 2026 playoff for the final four slots.
Türkiye open against Georgia before welcoming Spain to Konya on Sunday in a match already marked as potentially decisive.
Bulgaria and Spain will also square off later Thursday to complete the group’s opening round.
Head coach Vincenzo Montella enters his 24th match in charge seeking both momentum and consistency.
His record so far – 12 wins, seven losses and four draws – includes a resounding Nations League promotion last spring, when Türkiye crushed Hungary 6-1 on aggregate.
That campaign reinforced the team’s ability to impose itself against formidable opponents.
Montella has called up a 27-man squad that blends trusted veterans with emerging talents.
Captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu, now firmly established in Milan, anchors the midfield alongside Orkun Kökçü and Salih Özcan, with İsmail Yüksek and teenager Demir Ege Tıknaz adding depth.
Up front, the spotlight falls on Real Madrid’s Arda Güler and Juventus forward Kenan Yıldız, whose creativity and energy symbolize the new wave of Turkish football.
They are joined by Kerem Aktürkoğlu and Barış Alper Yılmaz, though the latter’s availability remains uncertain due to personal reasons.
At the back, Montella relies on familiar names such as Merih Demiral, Çağlar Söyüncü and Zeki Çelik, while the goalkeeping duties rotate between Altay Bayındır, Uğurcan Çakır and Mert Günok.
Türkiye arrive with confidence after a Euro 2024 quarterfinal run – their deepest at a major tournament since 2008 – though recent friendlies in the U.S. underlined the challenges ahead.
A victory over the Americans was quickly followed by a defeat to Mexico, a reminder of the competitive standards they will face should they qualify for the World Cup.
For Georgia, Thursday represents the start of their most ambitious campaign yet.
After reaching their first major tournament at Euro 2024 and advancing to the round of 16, Willy Sagnol’s men are now targeting a historic debut at the World Cup.
The squad is built around Paris Saint-Germain’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, whose dazzling dribbles and Champions League pedigree make him one of Europe’s most feared wingers.
Behind him stands Liverpool’s Giorgi Mamardashvili, a goalkeeper whose rise has made him one of the most sought-after shot-stoppers in the game.
Lyon striker Georges Mikautadze and Atlanta United’s Saba Lobjanidze add bite to the attack, while experienced captain Guram Kashia marshals a defense that blends youth and resilience.
Georgia come into the match unbeaten in four, having crushed Armenia in a Nations League playoff earlier this year to earn promotion to League B.
They also impressed in June friendlies, edging the Faroe Islands and drawing with Cape Verde, extending a run of results that has built confidence and belief.
History favors Türkiye in this matchup.
The Crescent-Stars have won four of six meetings against Georgia, scoring 15 goals and conceding six, including a 3-1 victory at Euro 2024 in Dortmund.
Georgia’s only win came in a 2007 friendly in Tbilisi, while one other meeting ended in a draw.
For Montella’s Türkiye, securing three points on the road would build invaluable momentum before Spain’s visit on Sunday, a fixture already shaping up as decisive in the race for top spot.
For Georgia, buoyed by a fervent home crowd, this is a chance to prove their progress and spark belief in an unprecedented World Cup run.
