Turkey Euro 2024 squad guide: Fixtures, predictions and best players

The widely tipped dark horses couldn’t have endured a lamer tournament at Euro 2020, as Turkey bowed out of the group stages with a whimper.

However, talk surrounding the national team has been tamer heading into Euro 2024, with the likes of Austria and Hungary regarded as the teams poised to spring a surprise this summer.

Turkey are going under the radar, and there’s no doubt that despite their patchy form, Vincenzo Montella’s squad is better placed to make a splash over the next few weeks compared to three years ago.

Here’s 90min’s guide to Turkey at Euro 2024.

Former Italy international Montella cut nine players from his provisional squad to get down to the magic 26.

Turkey were dealt a blow ahead of the tournament with Bournemouth’s Enes Unal picking up a toe injury in training which has seen him withdraw from Montella’s selection. Centre-back Caglar Soyuncu, a key figure in their dire Euro 2020 campaign, also wasn’t available for selection due to a thigh issue. Former Liverpool defender Ozan Kabak missed out through injury, too.

In the absence of Unal, Montella may well turn to experience up top with Cenk Tosun being included.

Turkey’s Euro 2024 squad

Turkey are jam-packed with technicians, and Montella has adopted a 4-2-3-1 in a bid to appease his playmakers.

Hakan Calhanoglu and Orkun Kokcu could operate as an incredibly proficient pivot, with one likely to drop into the backline to facilitate Turkey’s flying full-backs. The advanced movement of their flankers allows their wide players to shift centrally and operate between the lines. Thus, there are plenty of reference points for the likes of Calhanoglu to target with line-splitting passes.

Turkey will focus on these penetrative passes as a key means of progressing upfield, but they’re tough to defend in wide areas, too. Switches of play, especially from the boot of Calhanoglu, are a key feature of their game.

Montella’s side can be very vertical in possession, and they’ll defend, as most teams do, in a 4-4-2 block.

Portugal are doubtlessly the strongest team in Group F and the clear favourites to top the group. Turkey face Roberto Martinez’s side in Dortmund on Matchday 2 having opened their account against Georgia on 18 June.

Turkey have faced Georgia just five times before, winning three of the duels.

Georgia are set to be locked in a three-way battle for qualifying spots in Group F. Turkey’s final game against Czechia will be crucial in shaping the table. The head-to-head duels between the pair have gone both ways in recent years, and their clash in Hamburg will certainly be hotly contested.

Turkey’s Euro 2024 group stage fixtures

Turkey’s record vs Euro 2024 group stage opponents

Turkey’s potential knockout opponents

While Portugal are favourites to win the group, this Turkey side can’t be ruled out completely. Should they stun one of the pre-tournament favourites to top Group F, Montella’s side will take on one of three potential third place finishers in the round of 16.

They’ll also be on the ‘right’ side of the draw, potentially avoiding France and England.

A second-place finish in the group is their current projection, and they’ll face the winners of Group D in the first knockout round. That may well be France, although the Netherlands and an exciting Austria are also in contention.

A third-place finish certainly wouldn’t be ideal, and if they’re one of the four best-performing sides, Turkey would face the winners of either Group B or C. In this scenario, Spain and England would be potential opponents.

Hakan Calhanoglu was once a luxury Serie A playmaker during his time at Milan, but the Turkish international has since evolved into a do-it-all regista – and an immensely good one at that.

His reinvention as a deep-lying midfielder was almost stumbled upon by accident by Inter manager Simone Inzaghi, but Calhanoglu’s evolution has been nothing short of revelatory. Thus, he’ll be expected to sit in Montella’s midfield pivot and spray passes from deep positions throughout the tournament. Turkey’s advanced full-backs and between-the-lines creators should all benefit from the Inter man’s stellar passing range and irresistible technique.

Montella’s side have had issues resisting the opponents’ press, and they collapsed to a 6-1 defeat to fiercely-pressing Austria in March as a result. Calhanoglu, alongside another reformed playmaker in Orkun Kokcu, has a big role to play in ensuring his side can withstand pressure before advancing efficiently upfield.

In those advanced positions, the highly-rated Arda Guler, who enjoyed a strong end to his debut season at Real Madrid, and Galatasaray’s Kerem Akturkoglu will be looking to capitalise.

This is Guler’s first international tournament with Turkey, but it’s fair to say that the Real Madrid man has already emerged.

Kenan Yildiz is another Turkish starlet on the books of a major European club, but he’s a talent unfamiliar to many.

Yildiz enjoyed a spritely breakout campaign at Juventus as he mitigated Federico Chiesa’s struggles midway through the 2023/24 season, scoring a wonderful solo goal against Frosinone, but starts were hard to come by during the second half of the campaign. Nevertheless, the 19-year-old is a versatile operator who can function in multiple roles. He’s a silky dribbler with a penchant for the spectacular.

Euro 2024 can’t go any worse for Turkey than Euro 2020. Montella oversaw an impressive qualifying campaign, and while their 2024 so far hasn’t exactly been plain-sailing, there’s scope for the usual dark horses to enjoy a respectable summer.

Their group is tricky, mind, and it’s set to be a dogfight for potentially two qualifying spots assuming Portugal win the group. Turkey could finish anywhere between second and fourth, but they look stronger than Czechia and are set to benefit from strong Turkish support in Germany this summer.

Unfortunately, anything but a first-place finish in Group F would set Turkey up for a tough round of 16 draw which may well be beyond them. Montella’s dynamic outfit are set to impress in the group stages, but their stay in the knockouts could be brief.

Calhanoglou’s brilliance will come to the fore, and one of Turkey’s young guns will embark on a breakout tournament.

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