Hakan Çalhanoğlu has set a confident tone ahead of Türkiye’s World Cup opener, saying his side has the quality to dominate Australia. The Türkiye captain said the team expects a physical battle, but believes the difference will come from talent and overall quality.
Returning to the World Cup for the first time since 2002, Türkiye begin Group D against Australia before meeting Paraguay and the United States. The comeback carries heavy expectation, but it also comes with clear ambition from a squad many believe can go deep in the tournament.
Confidence Before the First Kick
Speaking to media ahead of Türkiye’s final training session, Çalhanoğlu said the coaching staff had studied Australia closely. He described the Socceroos as strong on set pieces and dangerous because of their size and physical approach.
“Our coach analysed them with us together,” Çalhanoğlu said Friday. “We know that they’re a physical team, that they’re good on corner kicks and the free kicks, because they are tall and strong.
“But I think that we dominate tomorrow, the game, because we have more qualities and a more talented team, so we will see tomorrow what happens.”
Pressure Meets Expectation
Türkiye’s return after 24 years has created major pressure inside a football-mad nation of 87.9 million people, along with supporters spread across a large global diaspora. Çalhanoğlu acknowledged that weight, but said the moment also feels special after such a long wait.
“Everyone is waiting for tomorrow. We are proud, after 24 years, to be back again,” he said. “Everyone knows how it feels, and the pressure. At the same time, it is for us to represent our nation; the moment comes now.”
TSG Hoffenheim defender Ozan Kabak made a similar point, saying the pressure is unavoidable because Türkiye have not played on the World Cup stage since 2002. He added that the team should focus on its own game rather than the expectation surrounding it.
“Obviously, it’s big pressure, but we expect them to expect something from us,” Kabak said. “Because we haven’t been on this stage, the biggest stage in the world. So, let’s just focus on our game, not think about pressure and play our game. I think we can, we can achieve something big and make them proud.”
Australia Already Under Fire
Australia enters the match as the least heralded side in Group D and has already drawn criticism from some U.S. pundits, who called the Socceroos “average” or “lay-ups.” ESPN previously reported that attacker Connor Metcalfe said he was “sick of” those remarks, while defender Jordan Bos said the comments had him “fired up a little bit.”
Çalhanoğlu’s remarks are likely to add more edge to the matchup, especially with Australia’s official pre-match news conference still to come later on Friday. For Türkiye, though, the message is clear: the opener is being treated as a chance to prove that their long-awaited return can start with a statement.
