Turkey vs Romania Lineups World Cup Qualification 2026 – A crucial match will take place in the playoff round of the 2026 World Cup Qualification in the European zone as Turkey hosts Romania in the semifinal.

This match is very important for both teams, who have not appeared in the World Cup finals for a long time.

The match is scheduled to take place at Besiktas Park on Thursday, March 26, 2026, at 08:00 PM local time.

The last appearance of both nations in the World Cup was in 2002, which further emphasizes the importance of this Thursday’s match as both teams aim to move one step closer to the biggest tournament in the world.

Before the match begins, here is Mansion Sports’ prediction for the Turkey vs Romania lineups in the 2026 World Cup Qualification below.

Team Conditions Ahead of the Match

Turkey

When Turkey won the bronze medal in their second World Cup appearance in 2002, few predicted that it would become their last appearance in the finals for a considerable period.

The tournament held in Asia ended a 48-year wait for the European nation, while also highlighting how rarely they appear on the world stage.

Although they have not yet secured a place in the 2026 finals, Ay-Yildizlilar have a very good chance of qualifying under Vincenzo Montella.

A solid qualification campaign saw Turkey finish in second place behind group winners and European champions Spain, with a total of 13 points, three points behind the top of Group E.

Among teams that played six matches in the qualification, that point tally is actually equal to the leaders of Group C and Group F, namely Scotland and Portugal, and better than all runners-up in Groups A, B, C, D, and F.

This shows how strong Turkey’s performance has been during qualification, but it will mean nothing if the team ranked 25th in the world fails to overcome Romania on Thursday, and then potentially face Slovakia or Kosovo.

Romania

On the other hand, Romania stands ready to block Turkey’s path, with their wait to appear in the World Cup even longer. Mircea Lucescu is determined to end his country’s 28-year drought.

After appearing in every World Cup during the 1990s and always reaching the knockout stage, the team known as Tricolours has not returned to the tournament since being eliminated by Croatia in the round of 16 in 1998.

Romania has failed twice in the playoff stage, in 2002 and 2014, but they now hope that fortune will favor them on their third attempt.

Despite having great ambition, the 1994 World Cup semifinalist must improve their performance after only finishing third in Group H, six points behind Austria and four points behind Bosnia and Herzegovina.

They managed to reach the playoff round thanks to an unbeaten Nations League campaign, and now the team ranked 49th in the world is aiming to eliminate a higher-ranked opponent to pave the way to the final against Slovakia or Kosovo, where Kosovo has previously been defeated twice by Romania in the Nations League.

Turkey vs Romania Lineups World Cup Qualification 2026

Turkey (4-2-3-1)

Despite conceding 10 of Turkey’s total 12 goals during qualification, Ugurcan Cakir is still expected to be trusted to guard the home team’s goal.

Hakan Calhanoglu will act as the playmaker from midfield and will also be responsible for set-piece situations, while the attacking burden will rely on Arda Guler, Kenan Yildiz, and possibly Kerem Akturkoglu, who together have scored six goals during qualification.

Romania (4-3-3)

Romania’s top scorers during qualification are Ianis Hagi, Florin Tanase, and Dennis Man, who have collectively scored six goals, and they are expected to be decisive again in Thursday’s match.

Daniel Birligea also has the potential to be the match winner, despite scoring only one goal during the World Cup qualification. The forward, who has scored seven goals at club level, is looking to bring that performance to the national team.

Nicusor Bancu has been very creative during qualification by creating five major chances, and the experienced left-back is expected to contribute again through his attacking movements.

This match is predicted to be closely contested as both teams have strong motivation to return to the World Cup stage after a long absence.

By understanding the Turkey vs Romania lineups in the 2026 World Cup Qualification, fans can gain a clear picture of the strengths of both teams before this important match begins.