Türkiye Crush North Macedonia 4-0 in Final World Cup Warm-Up

Türkiye put North Macedonia away 4-0 in Istanbul in their last match before the World Cup 2026. As of June 2, 2026, Vincenzo Montella's side heads to North America on a seven-match unbeaten run, with four clean sheets in five outings .

The scoreline flatters nobody (as of June 2, 2026). This was dominant from the opening whistle.

How the match unfolded

Orkun Kökçü opened the scoring inside two minutes (as of June 2, 2026). Oğuz Aydın delivered a cross from the right, and Kökçü finished with a composed left-footed strike . Before that, Can Uzun had already hit the crossbar in the opening seconds .

Uzun did not have to wait long to correct it. By the 16th minute he doubled the lead, and Türkiye were already cruising .

The second half brought the same pattern. Deniz Gül made it 3-0 in the 53rd minute, and Barış Alper Yılmaz completed the rout in the 70th . Montella used the final half-hour to rotate. Arda Güler came on and was active in sustained attacking pressure . Hakan Çalhanoğlu entered in the 87th minute, replacing Mert Müldür — a brief cameo, but enough to confirm fitness before the tournament .

Starting XI and formation

Montella set up in a 4-2-3-1 :

The lineup was largely experimental — a chance for fringe players to stake claims before the final squad cut. That four different scorers found the net says something about the depth available.

What the form line looks like

Across the last 12 months, Türkiye have won 7, drawn 1, and lost 2, scoring 21 goals and conceding 14. The two defeats came in a difficult window: a 0-6 loss to Spain at home in September 2025 and a 0-1 loss to Mexico away in June 2025. Everything since has been upward (as of June 2, 2026).

The recent run reads:

That 2-2 draw away to Spain stands out. Türkiye conceded six to the same opponent a month earlier, then went to Spain and took a point. Montella adjusted. The defensive improvement is real — three clean sheets in their four most recent matches before this friendly, with just four goals conceded across their last six outings (as of June 2, 2026).

Depth in attack — the numbers

The attacking talent on this squad does not need hype. The data speaks:

That is eight players with double-digit goal contributions at club level. Montella can rotate his front line match to match and still field a squad stacked with creators.

Kenan Yıldız alone — 18 goals and 11 assists for Juventus — is the kind of profile that shifts a group-stage contest. He logged 161 NT minutes in the last 12 months. Expect that number to climb sharply in June (as of June 2, 2026).

Group D — what Türkiye face

Group D includes the United States, Paraguay, and Australia. The full schedule:

The opener against Australia is the match Türkiye should target. A win there puts them in control heading into Paraguay and the final-day showdown with the hosts . Two of their three group matches are on American soil — Levi's Stadium and SoFi Stadium — where the USA will have crowd support. Türkiye will need to bank points early.

The 30-player pool

Montella currently has 30 players in the wider pool. The final 26 has not been confirmed yet. Here is the full breakdown by position:

Goalkeepers

Defenders

Midfielders

Forwards

What this result means

This was the final test before the tournament begins . The 4-0 margin was comfortable, the clean sheet was the fourth in five, and the rotation gave Montella live-game data on players competing for the final four roster spots.

Türkiye are not sneaking into this World Cup. They qualified through a play-off, built a seven-match unbeaten streak, and arrive with attacking options that rival any squad in Group D.

When does Türkiye play their World Cup 2026 opener?

Türkiye open World Cup 2026 against Australia on June 13 at BC Place in Vancouver . It is the second Group D match of the opening day, after USA vs. Paraguay at SoFi Stadium.

Who scored in the 4-0 win over North Macedonia?

Orkun Kökçü (2'), Can Uzun (16'), Deniz Gül (53'), and Barış Alper Yılmaz (70') scored for Türkiye in the friendly played at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium in Istanbul .

What is Türkiye's recent form heading into the World Cup?

Over the last 12 months, Türkiye have won 7, drawn 1, and lost 2, scoring 21 goals and conceding 14. Their unbeaten run stands at seven matches, with four clean sheets in the last five outings (as of June 2, 2026).

Who are the key attacking players in Türkiye's squad?

Kenan Yıldız leads with 18 goals and 11 assists in 4,353 club minutes for Juventus. Kerem Aktürkoğlu has 16 goals and 8 assists for Fenerbahçe. Arda Güler has contributed 7 goals and 16 assists at Real Madrid. Hakan Çalhanoğlu has 12 goals and 11 assists at Inter (as of June 2, 2026).

How does Group D look for Türkiye?

Türkiye share Group D with the USA, Paraguay, and Australia. They play all three matches between June 13 and June 25, with the opener against Australia in Vancouver and the final match against the USA at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood .

See the projected squad
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