Turkey’s national team cruised to an emphatic 6-1 win over Bulgaria in Sofia on Saturday in their third Group E match of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. The Turkish side, led by their promising youngsters, put in a scintillating performance that left the home side with no chance.
Real Madrid’s Arda Güler opened the scoring in the 11th minute with a precise shot and also provided two assists on a memorable night. Just two minutes later, Radoslav Kirilov equalised for Bulgaria, but in the second half, Turkey’s dominance was absolute and uncontested.
In the 49th minute, Hakan Çalhanoğlu’s through ball led to Turkey’s second goal, when defender Popov put through his own net after a misjudgement when trying to intercept the ball next to Kenan Yıldız. Just two minutes later, Yıldız controlled a pass from Güler inside the box and finished with quality to make it 1-3.
Arda Güler and Kenan Yıldız shone brightly in the match
The Juventus striker, who is enjoying a great moment, repeated in the 56th minute after a good combination with Hakan: he beat his marker on the left flank and shot with precision into the back of the net, extending the lead to 1-4.
In the 65th minute came the fifth goal. Arda Güler swung in a corner kick from the right and Zeki Çelik‘s flawless header was enough for a goal. In stoppage time, Oğuz Aydın set up İrfan Can Kahveci, who pounced to poke the ball home to seal the 6-1 scoreline.
Despite the thrashing, Turkey remains three points behind Group E leaders and reigning European champions Spain, who beat Georgia 2-0 with goals from Yeremy Pino and Mikel Oyarzabal to maintain their 100% record in qualifying.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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