Georgia, our national team's opponent: A critical turning point on the road to the World Cup

Barış Alper Yılmaz will return to his jersey after completing his suspension (AA)

MUHAMMED INSTEAD OF BERKE

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) announced that national goalkeeper Berke Özer, who was on the preliminary squad for the national team, left training camp without permission. Following this development, it was announced that Muhammed Şengezer from RAMS Başakşehir had been added to the preliminary squad in his place.

GROUP LEADER GOES DIRECTLY TO THE WORLD CUP

Sixteen teams from Europe will qualify for the 2026 World Cup, which will be hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada and in which 48 teams will compete.

In the European qualifiers, which will end in November, the 12 teams that finish first in their groups will directly qualify for the World Cup.

A total of 16 teams, including the 12 group runners-up and four teams from the UEFA Nations League, will compete for the final four spots. The play-off matches will be played in March 2026.

NATIONAL TEAM CANDIDATE SQUAD

The following players are in the National Team's squad for the Georgia match:

Goalkeeper: Altay Bayındır (Manchester United), Mert Günok (Beşiktaş), Uğurcan Çakır (Galatasaray), Muhammed Şengezer (RAMS Başakşehir)

Defenders: Abdülkerim Bardakcı, Eren Elmalı (Galatasaray), Çağlar Söyüncü, Mert Müldür (Fenerbahçe), Ferdi Kadıoğlu (Brighton), Merih Demiral (Al-Ahli), Samet Akaydin (Çaykur Rizespor), Yusuf Akçiçek (Al-Hilal), Zeki Çelik (Roma)

Midfield: Atakan Karazor (Stuttgart), Hakan Çalhanoğlu (Inter), İsmail Yüksek (Fenerbahçe), Orkun Kökçü (Beşiktaş), Salih Özcan (Borussia Dortmund)

Forwards: Arda Güler (Real Madrid), Barış Alper Yılmaz, Yunus Akgün (Galatasaray), Can Uzun (Eintracht Frankfurt), Deniz Gül (Porto), Kerem Aktürkoğlu, Oğuz Aydın (Fenerbahçe), Kenan Yıldız (Juventus)

GEORGIA'S CANDIDATE SQUAD

Georgia's 25-man squad, selected by head coach Willy Sagnol, includes the following players:

Goalkeeper: Giorgi Mamardashvili (Liverpool), Luka Gugeshashvili (PAOK), Davit Kereselidze (Dila Gori)

Defenders: Guram Kashia (Slovan Bratislava), Otar Kakabadze (Cracovia), Lasha Dvali (CSKA 1948), Irakli Azarov (Shakhtar Donetsk), Luka Lochoshvili (Nuremberg), Giorgi Gocholeishvili (Hamburger), Saba Goglichidze (Udinese), Iva Gelashvili (Panserraikos)

Midfield/Forward: Otar Kiteishvili (Sturm Graz), Giorgi Kochorashvili (Sporting), Anzor Mekvabishvili (Craiova), Nika Gagnidze (Kolos Kovalivka), Vladimer Mamuchashvili (Torpedo Kutaisi), Nodar Lominadze (Estoril Praia), Giorgi Tsitaishvili (Metz), Zuriko Davitashvili (Saint-Etienne), Saba Lobzhanidze (Atlanta United), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Paris Saint-Germain), Budu Zivzivadze (Heidenheim), Giorgi Kvernadze (Frosinone), Giorgi Guliashvili (Sarajevo), Giorgi Mikautadze (Villarreal)