As the excitement of the 2026 FIFA World Cup continues, international media attention has turned to Group D, which includes Turkey. India-based NDTV gave significant focus to Turkey and the Crescent-Stars team led by coach Vincenzo Montella in its pre-tournament analysis of Group D.
ENDING A FIVE-TOURNAMENT ABSENCE
NDTV Sports Desk recalled Turkey’s past major achievements, stating: "The Crescent-Stars reached the semifinals of the 2002 World Cup and the 2008 European Championship but had missed five World Cups until they qualified by defeating Kosovo in the play-offs this year. Having first participated in 1954, this will be only Turkey’s third World Cup appearance.
The analysis highlighted coach Vincenzo Montella’s success since taking charge in September 2023, leading the team to the quarterfinals of the 2024 European Championship. It noted, "Turkey had to overcome tough challenges from Romania and Kosovo in the play-offs to reach the World Cup finals. Coming through this difficult path, the Crescent-Stars are a team not to be underestimated in the group."
SPECIAL FOCUS ON HAKAN ÇALHANOĞLU AND KEREM AKTÜRKOĞLU NDTV included Turkey’s stars among the standout players in Group D alongside the USA’s Christian Pulisic and Australia’s Matthew Ryan: "The experience of national team captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu and the goal-scoring potential of Kerem Aktürkoğlu make Turkey one of the teams to watch closely in Group D.
Hakan has scored 22 goals for the national team, while Kerem has 15. Along with Christian Pulisic and Matthew Ryan, they are among the group’s key players. Captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu has netted 22 goals in national colors, and Kerem Aktürkoğlu reached 15 goals, including the winning goal against Kosovo.
Among the standout players in Group D are the USA’s Christian Pulisic, Australia’s Matthew Ryan, and Turkey’s Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Kerem Aktürkoğlu. The team’s attacking dynamism, combined with the host USA’s inconsistent form, significantly boosts Turkey’s chances in the group," the report added.
Indeed, NDTV’s group ranking prediction places Turkey ahead of Australia and Paraguay, forecasting them to advance to the round of 16 in second place.
MESSAGE TO THE HOST FROM LAST YEAR The analysis pointed out that despite the home advantage, the USA has not presented a flawless picture, raising concerns about goalkeeper rotation and physical endurance: "The Americans have the weakest goalkeeper roster since the 1980s and only one center-back, Chris Richards, playing in Europe’s top leagues.
The USA played friendly matches against all three rivals last year; they lost 2-1 to Turkey in June but defeated Australia and Paraguay 2-1 each last autumn. The USA showed inconsistent performance ahead of the World Cup."
