Mert Müldür sums up the Turkish mood after their early World Cup exit. Turkey's campaign ended with two defeats, raising questions about the nation's rebrand and performance.
Turkey's World Cup Woes Continue
When Turkey changed its name to Türkiye in 2022, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said the new name was "the best representation and expression of the Turkish people's culture, civilisation, and values." However, the rebrand also had a less lofty reason. "The association with the bird genuinely annoys Erdoğan and the people around him," explained Selim Koru of the Foreign Policy Research Institute. State broadcaster TRT conceded that the loose-necked Christmas bird was a factor in the change.
Despite the name change, Turkey's World Cup record remains poor. Apart from a third-place finish in 2002, the nation has struggled. This year marked only their third appearance at a finals, and they were eliminated after two losses to Australia and Paraguay. The defeat to Paraguay was particularly painful as the South Americans played with 10 men for over half the match after Miguel Almirón received a red card for covering his mouth while speaking to an opponent.
"We should have won these games ... everybody's sad, everybody's crying," said Arda Güler, the Turkish wonderkid. Along with Kenan Yildiz, Güler was expected to lead Turkey's charge as dark horses. "We tried very hard but it didn't work. But we should have scored some goals."
Paraguay's Matías Galarza scored the fastest goal of the tournament after just 65 seconds. Turkey then laid siege to their opponents but failed to score. They had 32 shots against Paraguay, adding to 30 against Australia. The combined 62 shots without a goal is the most in any two-match span in World Cup history. "Somehow the ball didn't go in," said Turkish manager Vincenzo Montella. "It's really shocking to say goodbye to the World Cup after only two matches. Perhaps the pressure of playing in a major tournament after a long absence affected us."
The fallout from elimination is yet to be determined. Heads may roll, and questions arise about whether the rebrand needs a rebrand. Not everyone can enjoy a generational reboot like Football Daily, but then their name is not a domesticated flightless bird or a synonym for failure. Hard luck, Turkey/Türkiye. See you in four years.
Live Coverage
John Brewin covers Netherlands 2-2 Sweden at 6pm BST, Will Unwin reports Germany 1-0 Côte d'Ivoire from 11pm, Alexander Abnos delivers updates from Ecuador 3-0 Curaçao, and Jonathan Howcroft hosts Tunisia 1-3 Japan.
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Football Daily Letters
- Phil Taverner questions referees having names on shirts. "I'm amazed Fifa isn't looking to cash in by selling replicas."
- Kate Clements corrects that Australian rules and American football use a prolate spheroid, not an egg-shaped ball.
- Thad Brown praises Peacock TV for streaming World Cup matches in Spanish, noting that even without understanding Spanish, the commentary is enjoyable.
