After 24 years of waiting, the Turkish national team is finally back at a World Cup. At the 2026 World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico, Vincenzo Montella’s side meets hosts USA, Paraguay and Australia in Group D. The opening match kicks off on 14 June 2026 against Australia in Vancouver, and the group stage ends on 26 June against the USA in Los Angeles. If you want to follow the matches in Turkish, you will find the right broadcast options further down. In this article you get the complete schedule, the kick-off times and all the information about where to watch.

Turkey is back: a World Cup return after 24 years

For an entire football nation, this qualification feels like a small miracle. For the first time since the legendary 2002 World Cup, where Turkey sensationally finished third, the team is back at a final tournament. Back then, Hakan Şükür scored the fastest goal in World Cup history after just eleven seconds, and today’s players want to build on exactly that golden era.

The road there was bumpy, though. In the qualifying group, Turkey finished second behind Spain and had to go through the play-offs, winning both legs 1–0 to book the ticket to North America. The man behind the upturn is head coach Vincenzo Montella, in charge of the national side since 2023.

Group D: Turkey’s opponents at a glance

The draw was not kind to Turkey. Group D is considered one of the most balanced of the entire tournament, because hosts USA are in it and no opponent can be written off. Turkey play Australia, Paraguay and the USA. Should they survive the group stage, the round of the last 32 starts on 28 June.

Kick-off times to keep in mind

Because the tournament runs across several North American time zones, Turkey’s matches fall late at night or in the early morning for European viewers. It is worth planning ahead so you don’t miss the key games – especially the decisive final group match against the hosts.

World Cup 2026 broadcasters: TV channels in Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia

The broadcast rights for the 2026 World Cup are distributed differently from country to country. So that you don’t miss any Turkey match or any other World Cup highlight, here is a compact overview of the main channels in Europe, North America and Australia.

Germany

MagentaTV (Telekom) shows all 104 matches live, including exclusively the three Turkey group games. ARD and ZDF broadcast a large share of the matches on free-to-air TV.

France

TF1 (free-to-air) and the pay-TV channel beIN Sports share the rights. beIN Sports broadcasts all 104 games live.

Netherlands

Public broadcaster NOS shows the matches free-to-air on the NPO channels and online via NPO Start.

Austria

The ORF broadcasts the World Cup free-to-air on ORF 1 and as a stream via ORF ON.

Belgium

The matches air on public broadcasters VRT (Flemish region) and RTBF (French-speaking region), both free-to-air.

Switzerland

SRG SSR shows the World Cup free-to-air on SRF (German), RTS (French) and RSI (Italian-speaking Switzerland).

Sweden

TV4 and the streaming service TV4 Play hold the rights, showing the matches partly free and partly on subscription.

Norway

The rights belong to TV 2, which shows the matches on TV and via TV 2 Play.

Denmark

DR and TV 2 broadcast the World Cup, complemented by the streaming services DRTV and TV 2 Play.

Finland

Public broadcaster Yle shows the World Cup free-to-air on TV and via Yle Areena.

USA

FOX and FS1 broadcast in English, while Telemundo and Universo (Peacock) handle the Spanish-language coverage.

Canada

TSN (English) and RDS (French) show the matches on TV and streaming.

Australia

The streaming service Optus Sport shows all matches live; selected games also air free-to-air on SBS.

Important for Turkish fans: in all of these countries, Turkish-language commentary is the exception. If you want to experience Turkey’s World Cup matches with Turkish commentary and a Turkish atmosphere, a Turkish reception option is the best choice – and this is exactly where Digiturk Play comes in.

Experience the World Cup in Turkish with Digiturk Play

In Turkey, all the matches are shown free and unencrypted on the TRT channels. With Digiturk Play you can follow these Turkish broadcasts abroad too – with original Turkish commentary. Whether on your laptop, tablet or on the go on your smartphone, you can watch Digiturk Play on many devices and platforms.

If you want to get on board before the tournament, take your time to look at the available Digiturk Play packages and choose the right offer. It is also worth checking the current campaigns and deals to secure the best price for the World Cup season in good time.

Montella, Güler and Yıldız: the Turkey squad

Hopes rest above all on the young generation. With Arda Güler of Real Madrid and Kenan Yıldız of Juventus, Turkey has two of the most talented players in Europe. In midfield, captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu provides stability and experience. Coach Montella preaches brave, attacking football, and his biggest task will be to stabilise the defence.

How far can Turkey go?

Realistically, the first goal is clear: getting through the group stage. As the 2026 World Cup features 48 teams for the first time, with the best third-placed sides advancing alongside the top two, the chances of reaching the next round are not bad at all. With quality up front and the memory of 2002 in mind, Turkey can dream once again on the biggest stage in world football.