Vancouver [Canada], June 13 (ANI): Turkiye head coach Vincenzo Montella on Saturday described his team’s return to the FIFA World Cup 2026 as an emotional moment, saying the side is fully prepared and motivated as they gear up for their opening clash against Australia, marking their first appearance at the tournament in 24 years.
Turkiye’s last featured in the FIFA World Cup in 2002, when the national side achieved its best-ever finish by securing third place.
Speaking on the eve of the clash, Montella said the team has been waiting for this moment for more than two decades and enters the tournament with belief and pride.
“This is the day before something that we have been waiting for 24 years, we are very emotional and we trust we are going to do well,” Montella said, as quoted by Reuters.
Acknowledging the challenges of the global showpiece, the Turkiye coach said his side is focused on enjoying the experience while also delivering for the nation.
“We know how many challenges there are in the World Cup, but we want to enjoy it and we want to be proud, and we want to make our nation proud of us,” he added.
Montella further stressed the importance of making a strong start in the tournament, noting that the opening fixture often sets the tone for the campaign.
“The first game is always the more important, even though it’s not the one that decides the final results because you can gain points in future games, but of course, I think of this game as a game that is going to be important and that is going to help in the future path of our team,” he said, as quoted by Reuters.
The 51-year-old said the current crop of players, who will also take on the United States and Paraguay in Group D, were not to blame for the fact that Turkiye had failed to reach the finals in more than two decades.
“I like telling my players that our success it’s not their fault that Turkiye was not at the World Cup for 24 years, but they can be proud that we can be here again after 24 years and now they need to be playing at their best, give the game their all and just avoid thinking about the other stuff,” he added. (ANI)
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