Turkey beat Georgia 3-2 in a 2026 World Cup qualifier. Here is the full match summary, goals and key moments of the game.
Turkey began their bid to qualify for the 2026 World Cup with a win in Georgia in a thrilling match which they approached with determination and good play, despite being made to suffer in the final minutes by a Georgian comeback and the red card of Barış Alper Yılmaz.
The match, played at the Boris Paichadze Stadium in Tbilisi, got off to a flying start for the Turks, who opened the scoring with less than three minutes on the clock when Fenerbahçe‘sMert Müldür headed home from a corner to make it 1-0.
His team-mate Kerem Aktürkoğlu extended the lead to 0-2 in the 40th minute with a right-footed kick near the penalty spot, and to 0-3 six minutes into the second half, finishing off a pass from Yunus Akgün in the six-yard box after a mistake by the home defence.
Trouble for the Turks in the second half
The Turkish football team seemed to have the game well and truly in hand, but the Georgians kept trying with attacks on the goal defended by Uğurcan Çakır, albeit with little success. They were rewarded in the 63rd minute, however, when Zuriko Davitashvili struck the back of the net after the ball had hit the post.
To complicate matters, 71 minutes into the match Galatasaray‘s striker Barış Alper Yılmaz was sent off with a straight red card for a nasty tackle that the referee had previously overlooked, but which the VAR deemed deserving of the penalty. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia further reduced Georgia’s disadvantage in stoppage time with a well-struck shot from the edge of the box to make it 2-3, and 10 minutes into stoppage time Çakır pulled off an outstanding save to prevent what could have been a third goal for the Caucasians.
With the win in Georgia, Turkey secured all three points in Group E and got off to a good start on their way to qualifying for the 2026 World Cup, to be held jointly in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Turkey vs Georgia timeline and goals
- 3’ – ⚽ Mert Müldür opens the scoring early with a header from a corner (0-1).
- 21’ – 🟨 Yellow card for İsmail Yüksek (Turkey).
- 39’ – 🟨 Yellow card for Luka Lochoshvili (Georgia).
- 40’ – 🟨 Otar Kakabadze also booked for Georgia.
- 41’ – ⚽ Kerem Aktürkoğlu doubles Turkey’s lead before halftime (0-2).
- 46’ – 🔄 Half-time substitutions for both teams.
- 52’ – ⚽ Aktürkoğlu scores again to make it three for Turkey (0-3).
- 63’ – ⚽ Zuriko Davitashvili pulls one back for Georgia (1-3).
- 66’ – 🔄 Double change for Turkey as fresh legs come on.
- 68’ – 🔄 Georgia make a substitution in defence.
- 71’ – 🟨 Yellow card for Barış Alper Yılmaz (Turkey).
- 73’ – 🟨 Giorgi Kochorashvili booked for Georgia.
- 79’ – 🔄 Another substitution for Turkey.
- 81’ – 🔄 Georgia respond with further changes.
- 85’ – 🔄 Late substitution for Georgia.
- 86’ – 🔄 Turkey make their final change of the match.
- 90+8’ – ⚽ Kvaratskhelia scores late, setting up a tense finish (2-3).
- 90+10’ – 🟨 Yellow card for Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Turkey).
Turkey vs Georgia stats and match statistics
| Statistic | Georgia | Turkey |
|---|---|---|
| Goals | 2 | 3 |
| Possession | 53% – 54.4% | 45.6% – 47% |
| Total shots | 15 | 6 |
| Shots on target | 4 | 3 |
| Corners | 6 | 2 |
| Pass accuracy | 86.2% – 87% | 82.8% – 83% |
| Fouls committed | 13 | 14 |
| Yellow cards | 4 | 3 |
| Red cards | 1 | 1 |
VOTE
EDITORIAL TEAM
🧿 About us
.
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.
…
📣 Your ADVERTISING on Hispanatolia
.
🤗 HELP US WITH A DONATION:
💗 Paypal
