Sports
Dreams come true: Türkiye finally snap 24-year-old World Cup jinx
Türkiye ended a 24-year absence from the FIFA World Cup with a tense 1-0 victory over Kosovo in the UEFA playoff final, a result that not only secured qualification but also rewrote a narrative of near-misses that had lingered for more than two decades.
On Tuesday at Fadil Vokrri Stadium in Pristina, the decisive moment arrived in the 53rd minute when Kerem Aktürkoğlu capped a swift, clinical counterattack, finishing from close range.
Kenan Yıldız surged down the flank before Orkun Kökçü redirected the move into Aktürkoğlu’s path, a goal that ultimately separated two sides bound by deep cultural ties but divided by fine margins on the night.
Kosovo responded with urgency and intensity, forcing Türkiye into long spells of defensive discipline.
Goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır stood firm with a series of composed interventions, preserving the lead as the closing stages tightened into a battle of nerves where every clearance, interception and save carried enormous weight.
At full time, emotion took over as players embraced and lifted coach Vincenzo Montella, who had guided the team through a campaign marked by both promise and setbacks, including a heavy defeat to Spain that once cast doubt over their trajectory.
Celebrations spilled far beyond the stadium as fans across Türkiye filled the streets with flags, flares and car horns in a long-awaited release.
The significance of the result is rooted in history.
Türkiye’s last appearance at the World Cup came in 2002 under Şenol Güneş, when they produced a remarkable run to third place, defeating Japan and South Korea and pushing eventual champions Brazil to the limit.
In the years that followed, however, repeated qualification failures turned that success into a distant memory, despite the emergence of talents such as Tuncay Şanlı and Arda Turan.
This current squad has shifted that narrative through resilience and balance.
After finishing second in their qualifying group behind Spain, Türkiye navigated a narrow playoff path, edging Romania before overcoming Kosovo in a final defined by composure under pressure, a hallmark increasingly associated with Montella’s approach.
The squad itself reflects a blend of emerging flair and experienced control.
Young attackers like Arda Güler and Kenan Yıldız bring unpredictability and creativity, while captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu anchors the midfield with vision and leadership.
They are supported by a disciplined defensive structure and opportunistic finishing that has proven decisive in tight matches.
For many within the team, the achievement carries generational meaning.
Players born after or too young to remember 2002 now step into a tournament they once watched only in highlights, a shift that Aktürkoğlu acknowledged as both emotional and motivating, with the squad aiming not only to participate but to inspire a new wave of supporters.
The challenge ahead is immediate and demanding.
Drawn into Group D alongside the United States, Australia and Paraguay, Türkiye face a stylistically diverse set of opponents, with analysts already labeling the group as one of the most competitive in the expanded 48-team tournament, where adaptability and squad depth will be critical.
International reaction highlighted the magnitude of the achievement.
Reuters framed it as a long-awaited return to football’s elite stage, while BBC highlighted the narrow margin that defined the playoff win.
The Guardian pointed to the difficulty of Türkiye’s group, and ESPN detailed the logistical and competitive challenges awaiting the team across North America.
Meanwhile, New York Post suggested Türkiye’s inclusion complicates the United States’ path, a view reinforced by US captain Christian Pulisic, who described the matchup as one to anticipate.
Further coverage from Marca, Al Jazeera and Bild emphasized both Türkiye’s breakthrough and Kosovo’s narrow miss, capturing the contrasting emotions of triumph and heartbreak that defined the night in Pristina.
Within the Turkish camp, ambition is already taking shape.
Skipper Çalhanoğlu has set progression beyond the group stage as the immediate goal.
Türkiye secured their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup with a crucial away victory over Kosovo, thanks to a 53rd-minute goal from Kerem Aktürkoğlu.
Kosovo came close shortly before the half-hour mark but Türkiye goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır pushed a long-range ball from FisnikAsllani against the crossbar.
Türkiye scored in the 53rd from Kerem Aktürkoğlu, who put the finishing touch on an attempt from Orkun Kökçü. The goal gave them confidence and they held on reach the World Cup for the first time since 2002 when they reached the semi-finals.
The other play-off finals in Europe on Tuesday were Bosnia-Herzegovina v Italy and the Czech Republic v Denmark.
Türkiye will go into Group D with co-hosts the United States, Paraguay and Australia.
Argentina close their March international window with a home friendly against Zambia, offering a timely opportunity to refine their structure, restore fluency, and make decisive progress toward finalizing a competitive World Cup squad.
Lionel Messi is expected to start for Argentina national football team when they face Zambia national football team at La Bombonera, with the world champions aiming to impose greater control, sharper movement, and sustained attacking pressure than they managed in their previous outing.
The match represents Argentina’s final appearance on home soil before the 2026 FIFA World Cup, giving the squad a meaningful stage to reconnect with supporters while sharpening competitive rhythm ahead of their title defense.
Disruptions shape an uneven buildup
Argentina’s preparations for this window were unsettled after the planned Finalissima clash against Spain collapsed due to logistical and geopolitical complications, forcing the coaching staff to reorganize fixtures and adjust tactical planning within a compressed timeframe.
That instability was reflected in the narrow win over Mauritania, where moments of technical quality were evident but overall cohesion, tempo control, and defensive sharpness fell below expectations, prompting direct and public acknowledgment from within the squad.
Scaloni’s intensity
Coach Lionel Scaloni has emphasized that these matches carry significant selection weight, as he continues evaluating a deep player pool where strong performances are essential for securing limited places in the final tournament squad.
Midfield figures such as Rodrigo De Paul and Alexis Mac Allister are expected to dictate tempo and maintain balance, while attackers including Julián Álvarez provide vertical movement and finishing presence to complement Messi’s creative influence.
At the same time, emerging talents continue to press their case for inclusion, increasing the intensity of internal competition and ensuring that each performance is scrutinized within the broader context of World Cup readiness.
Messi’s return to the starting lineup significantly alters Argentina’s attacking dynamics, as his ability to control tempo, exploit space, and connect phases of play brings both structure and unpredictability to the team’s forward movements.
His limited minutes against Mauritania reflected careful workload management, yet his inclusion from the start here signals a deliberate effort to build cohesion and confidence around his leadership in a high-attention environment.
For supporters, the occasion carries emotional weight, as this fixture could represent one of his final appearances on Argentine soil before the World Cup begins, adding a layer of significance beyond typical friendly expectations.
Zambia embrace a demanding opportunity
Zambia arrive with realistic expectations but clear motivation, viewing the match as a valuable opportunity to test their discipline, resilience, and tactical organization against one of the most accomplished teams in international football.
Under coach Moses Sichone, the side continues to seek consistency after a difficult run of results, with recent performances highlighting both defensive gaps and a lack of sustained attacking output.
Players such as Patson Daka and Fashion Sakala offer pace and direct threat, which could prove effective in transition phases if Zambia are able to absorb pressure and exploit isolated moments.
Tactical expectations
Argentina are expected to dominate possession through structured buildup and controlled midfield circulation, using their technical quality to create openings while maintaining defensive stability through leaders such as Cristian Romero and Nicolas Otamendi.
Zambia will likely adopt a compact defensive shape designed to limit central space and frustrate attacking patterns, while relying on quick transitions to create limited but potentially dangerous scoring opportunities.
While the result will carry importance, the broader objective for Argentina centers on refining tactical clarity, strengthening cohesion, and identifying the most reliable combinations ahead of a demanding World Cup campaign.
Fenerbahçe Beko heads to Germany to face Bayern Munich in Round 35 of the 2025-26 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague on Wednesday.
Tip-off at SAP Garden in Munich’s Olympiapark is set for 8:00 p.m. Turkish time (5:00 p.m. UTC). The 12,500-seat arena, inaugurated last season, has quickly become a fortress for Bayern.
Fenerbahçe Beko enters the matchup atop the 20-team standings with a 23-11 record.
The Turkish powerhouse boasts the league’s stingiest defense, allowing 80.3 points per game, while scoring an average of 82.6, producing a +77 point differential.
Their strong form has already secured a playoff berth, though the team will look to rebound from a 92-82 road loss to Zalgiris Kaunas in Round 34.
Bayern Munich, meanwhile, sits 15th with a 14-20 mark, averaging 80.5 points scored and 83.7 allowed per contest.
With the playoffs out of reach, the German side will focus on playing spoiler and improving final positioning. Home-court energy and veteran coach Svetislav “Kari” Pesic’s experience may help Bayern challenge the league leaders, though consistency against top-tier opponents has eluded them this season.
This season’s earlier meeting in Istanbul saw Fenerbahçe Beko dominate 88-73. The Turkish side has won the last eight encounters against Bayern, asserting a clear upper hand in recent history.
Sarunas Jasikevicius, Fenerbahçe’s head coach since December 2023, has guided the team to consecutive Final Four appearances, including the 2025 EuroLeague title, and recently extended his contract through 2026.
Known for disciplined defense and tactical rigor, Jasikevicius aims to steady his team after the Zalgiris setback. Bayern relies on Pesic, who returned in December 2025, to harness home energy and stabilize the squad for the season’s close.
Tickets for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games will go on sale to the general public on April 9, organizers announced Monday, as LA28 also sought to reassure fans about ticket security by confirming a network of verified resale platforms set to launch in 2027.
A presale for residents in selected areas of Los Angeles and Oklahoma City will open April 2, with notification emails to successful applicants scheduled between March 31 and April 4, according to LA28.
The organizing committee will inform remaining registrants on April 7 whether they have been selected for a purchase window in the first phase of general sales, known as “Drop 1.”
“This week marks the first opportunity for fans to claim a seat at the LA28 Olympic Games,” LA28 Chief Executive Officer Reynold Hoover said in a statement.
LA28’s ticketing program will include 1 million tickets priced at $28, the lowest price point. Roughly 5% of Olympic tickets will cost more than $1,000, while more than 75% of all tickets, including finals, will be under $400 and nearly 50% will be under $200.
“Tickets are comparable to, and in many cases well under, what we see for other professional sporting and major entertainment events in the U.S.,” Allison Katz-Mayfield, LA28 senior vice president of games delivery revenue, told reporters on a call.
Resale program
Separately, LA28 said its verified, multi-platform resale program will open in 2027, with AXS and Eventim serving as official secondary ticket marketplaces. Ticketmaster and Sports Illustrated Tickets have also been designated as verified resale platforms.
The announcement comes as organizers prepare for the first ticket drop and warn fans against buying from unauthorized sellers before the resale program launches.
LA28 said primary tickets will be sold only through its official ticket service providers, AXS and Eventim. It added that any LA28 tickets offered for resale before 2027 should not be considered verified.
“While LA28’s resale platforms will not be launched until 2027, having a variety of platforms is critical to providing fans multiple points of access to verified tickets,” Hoover said.
Local presale
Fans who registered for the LA28 ticket draw and whose billing postal codes fall within qualifying counties were automatically entered into the local presale draw.
Those selected will receive 48-hour purchase windows running from April 2 through April 6 and must use a payment method tied to an eligible billing postal code to complete their purchase.
For both the local presale and Drop 1, selected buyers will have 48 hours to purchase tickets, while any tickets placed in a cart must be checked out within 30 minutes. Buyers may complete multiple transactions during their allotted window until they reach the ticket limit.
LA28 said tickets will be available across all Olympic sports, as well as for the opening ceremony at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood and the closing ceremony at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
Fans selected for time slots may buy up to 12 tickets for Olympic events, plus up to 12 tickets for the football tournament, which will not count toward the general Olympic event limit. Ceremony tickets will be capped at four per buyer and will count toward the 12-ticket maximum.
Registrants who are not assigned a time slot in either the local presale or Drop 1 will be automatically entered into future draws, LA28 said. Paralympic tickets are due to go on sale in 2027.
Ticket-inclusive hospitality packages from official provider On Location are also expected to go on sale in April. Visa will be the official payment method for purchases.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the editorial stance, values or position of Daily Sabah. The newspaper provides space for diverse perspectives as part of its commitment to open and informed public discussion.
Toprak Razgatlıoğlu reached a pivotal milestone in his rookie MotoGP season at the United States Grand Prix, scoring his first career point and proving he can handle the relentless demands of the premier class.
The 5.513-kilometer Circuit of the Americas, with its punishing elevation shifts, tight hairpins, sweeping high-speed corners, and a long back straight, has long been considered a benchmark for rider skill and machine precision.
Over 19 dry laps, Razgatlıoğlu battled both the track and the intensity of the field to finish 15th for Prima Pramac Yamaha, crossing the line 25.549 seconds behind winner Marco Bezzecchi.
That single point may seem modest, but for the Turkish star, it marks the first step in establishing himself among MotoGP’s elite.
A multiple World Superbike champion, Razgatlıoğlu is navigating a steep learning curve with prototype machinery in his debut season.
Each race presents challenges in braking stability, cornering precision, and tire management at speeds far beyond his previous championship experiences.
Scoring at one of the calendar’s most technically demanding circuits offers a tangible signal that his adaptation is on track, and that he can translate raw talent into tangible results against the world’s best.
At the front, Bezzecchi extended a perfect start to 2026 with a commanding win, leading all 20 laps at COTA to claim his third consecutive victory of the season and fifth straight including the previous year.
He crossed the line 2.036 seconds ahead of teammate Jorge Martín, who won Saturday’s sprint, while Pedro Acosta, demoted from third to eighth due to a penalty in the sprint, rounded out the podium.
Bezzecchi’s triumph also cemented his place in MotoGP history. He became the third Italian rider after Hall of Famers Valentino Rossi and Giacomo Agostini to win five consecutive races and the first rider since Marc Marquez in 2014 to claim victories in the first three grands prix of the season.
“This is amazing. I mean, I wasn’t expecting a day like this after yesterday because it wasn’t easy and I made a mistake,” Bezzecchi said. “Luckily, my team was very close to me and they gave me the motivation to try to bounce back. I really can’t describe my emotion right now. Very, very happy and proud.”
Other notable results saw Fabio Di Giannantonio of VR46 Racing finish fourth, while defending Austin champion Francesco Bagnaia of Ducati Lenovo Team came in 10th.
With this win, Bezzecchi reclaimed the championship lead at 81 points, four ahead of Martin, as the series moves toward Europe.
The next test for Razgatlıoğlu and the rest of the grid is the Spanish Grand Prix at Circuito de Jerez – Angel Nieto on April 26, where the rookie will aim to build on his breakthrough moment and continue his climb among the sport’s elite.
The World Ethnosport Union will host the 8th Ethnosport Forum from April 3 to 5, 2026, gathering global leaders, athletes, and experts to advance traditional sports and games as both cultural treasures and competitive platforms.
The forum reflects the organization’s commitment to tradition, respect, solidarity, and peace, aiming to safeguard intangible cultural heritage through sport.
This year’s edition focuses on shaping the vision for Ethnosports 2027, a major international multi-sport event designed to elevate traditional sports from local practices to globally recognized competitions.
Organizers aim to establish governance standards, competitive systems, and marketing frameworks while preserving the authentic cultural roots of these games.
Record participation is expected, with more than 15 sports and culture ministers, over 100 senior government officials, international delegations, member federation representatives, academics, researchers, and athletes.
Officials and participants from 29 countries are confirmed, reflecting the Union’s expanding global reach across its 27-31 member nations.
The forum serves as a strategic platform for dialogue, collaboration, and planning, enabling policymakers, practitioners, and scholars to refine the roadmap for the international development of traditional sports.
The program begins on April 3 with arrivals and preparatory meetings.
On April 4, the forum will open with a keynote address examining the global influence of multi-sport organizations, followed by a high-level Ministers Panel chaired by World Ethnosport Union President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan, where officials will discuss policy support for traditional sports.
The afternoon will feature parallel sessions covering organization and governance, sports and competition systems, and marketing and communication.
The day concludes with a World Ethnosport Union members’ meeting and a gala dinner.
April 5 will focus on communications strategies and public engagement, highlighted by the announcement of the Global Tradition Call and the official release of the Ethnosports 2027 Forum Declaration.
The event will also host the Traditional Sports Awards Ceremony, honoring leadership, sponsorship, academic contributions, and support for young and adult athletes.
The forum will close with remarks and an optional city tour showcasing Antalya’s cultural and historical heritage.
Discussions throughout will emphasize sustainability, international partnerships, funding models, and youth engagement, all while respecting the cultural authenticity of traditional games such as wrestling, archery, equestrian sports, and regional folk competitions.
Founded in 2017 and headquartered in Istanbul, the World Ethnosport Union promotes traditional sports as carriers of cultural identity and social values.
Its initiatives span local, national, and global levels, including festivals, championships, and UNESCO-related heritage efforts.
The annual Ethnosport Forum series has steadily grown in scale and influence, providing a platform for strategic planning and global networking.
President Necmeddin Bilal Erdoğan has championed international cooperation, advocacy, and the integration of traditional sports into global discourse.
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