Turkey, led by Arda Güler and Kenan Yıldız, made a return to the World Cup finals after 24 years, defeating Kosovo 0-1 in Pristina with a goal from Kerem Aktürkoğlu. Kosovo was very close to its first major tournament but was inferior to the experience of the Turkish players, more accustomed to these types of scenarios. Güler improved as the match went on and Yıldız was decisive, at times being the most disruptive player in the team coached by Vincenzo Montella. Turkey will play in Group D alongside the United States, Paraguay, and Australia, and extended their unbeaten streak to six consecutive matches. This goal was a psychological blow to Kosovo, although they persisted until the end, forcing Çakır to become the star of the show. Turkey resisted and secured their World Cup qualification, their third in history after 1954 and 2002, while Kosovo fell just short. Kosovo created danger with shots from Veldin Hodza and Kreshnik Hajrizi but found themselves up against the Turkish defense and goalkeeper Çakır. Turkey was slow to react, but Orkun Koku gave the first warning, followed by chances for Yıldız, while Fisnik Asllani hit the woodwork. The goal came at the start of the second half following a combination between Aktürkoğlu and Koku, which ended with the decisive strike.
