Preview: Turkey vs. Romania - prediction, team news, lineups

Turkey host Romania at Besiktas Park in the World Cup 2026 European playoff semi-finals, aiming to progress to next Tuesday’s final.

The most recent World Cup appearance for either nation came in 2002, underlining the importance of Thursday’s clash as both sides seek to move one step closer to the showpiece.

Match preview

When Turkey claimed a bronze medal in only their second World Cup appearance in 2002, few would have predicted that would be their last finals appearance for some time.

That tournament in Asia ended a 48-year wait for the European nation, emphasising how rare it has been for them to feature on the global stage.

Although they are not yet guaranteed a place at the 2026 finals, Ay-Yildizlilar have an excellent opportunity to qualify under Vincenzo Montella.

A commendable qualifying campaign saw Turkiye finish second behind group winners and reigning European champions Spain, ending on 13 points, three adrift of the Group E victors.

Among the teams that played six matches in qualifying, that tally would have matched Group C and Group F winners Scotland and Portugal, respectively, and bettered all five runners-up in Groups A, B, C, D and F.

While that highlights how strong the Crescent-Stars were in qualifying, it will count for nothing if the world’s 25th-ranked side do not make it past Romania on Thursday and then potentially Slovakia or Kosovo.

Standing in their way are Romania, whose wait for a World Cup appearance stretches even longer than Turkiye’s, with Mircea Lucescu aiming to end the nation’s 28-year absence.

Having featured at every World Cup in the 1990s and reached the knockout rounds each time, the Tricolours have not kicked a ball at the tournament since exiting to Croatia in the 1998 round of 16.

Romania have twice fallen at the playoff stage, in 2002 and 2014, but hope it will be third time lucky.

Despite that ambition, the 1994 World Cup quarter-finalists must significantly improve on their third-place finish in Group H, where they ended six points behind Austria and four adrift of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

They progressed to the playoffs thanks to a strong, unbeaten Nations League campaign, and the world’s 49th-ranked side now seek to take down higher-ranked opposition to set up next Tuesday’s final against Slovakia or Kosovo, the latter having been beaten twice by Romania in the Nations League.

Turkey World Cup Qualifying - Europe form:

Romania World Cup Qualifying - Europe form:

Romania form - all competitions:

Team News

Despite conceding 10 of Turkiye’s 12 goals in qualifying, Ugurcan Cakir is expected to keep his place between the sticks for the hosts.

While Hakan Calhanoglu will look to dictate proceedings from deep midfield and at set pieces, the hosts’ attacking burden will fall on Arda Guler, Kenan Yildiz and likely Kerem Akturkoglu, who combined for six goals in qualifying.

Romania’s leading scorers in qualifying were Ianis Hagi, Florin Tanase and Dennis Man, who also netted six between them, and they will hope to be decisive again on Thursday.

Daniel Birligea also carries match-winning potential, even if he scored only once during World Cup qualifying, with the seven-goal forward in club football aiming to translate his occasional decisive moments to the national team.

Nicusor Bancu was especially creative in qualifying, fashioning five clear-cut chances, and the experienced left-back will aim to have a similar impact with his forward forays.

Turkey possible starting lineup:

Cakir; Celik, Akaydin, Demiral, Kadioglu; Calhanoglu, Yuksek; Aydin, Guler, Yildiz; Akturkoglu

Romania possible starting lineup:

Radu; Ratiu, Burca, Ghita, Bancu; Tanase, Screciu, Dragomir; Man, Birligea, Hagi