After a long time, Turkey wants to take part in a World Cup again. Arda Güler is the great hope for the playoff final in Kosovo.
When Turkey needed his left foot the most, he showed how much feeling he had. With his dream pass to Ferdi Kadioglu, Arda Güler prepared the decisive goal in the playoff semi-final against Romania (1-0) and at that moment impressively showed why the entire country is placing its hopes for its first World Cup participation since third place in 2002 in the feet of the Real Madrid professional.
‘The kind of magic we want to see at the World Cup’
English journalist Nick Miller wrote about this moment at “The Athletic” an article with the headline: “That assist from Arda Güler was exactly the kind of magic we want to see at the World Cup.” And you can see that this genius, which the 21-year-old also shows as a regular player for the “Royal” in Spain, could be a reason for him to keep his fingers crossed for Turkey in the final game for the World Cup ticket on Tuesday in Kosovo (8.45 p.m.).
“The World Cup is about moments. Highlights that will be remembered for generations to come. Goals, technical feints, passes – you name it: we’ll watch as many games as we can, but most of them, apart from the really big ones, we won’t remember.”writes Miller. “But they will remember these moments and that is exactly why most neutral observers hope that Turkey will qualify for the tournament in the summer.”
Güler with a different role than at Real Madrid
Of course, hopes are greatest in Güler’s homeland; after missing five World Cups, Turkey is longing to finally be back in the USA, Canada and Mexico. The opponents there would be the USA, Australia and Paraguay – if the final step in Kosovo is successful. And for that, Turkey needs its genius on the ten.
While Güler takes on a more defensive position at Real, he is the string puller in the offensive center under national coach Vincenzo Montella. “When I play a little deeper, my coach has certain expectations. Here at the national team, when I play as a ten, he has different expectations. I’m trying to adapt to that and I think that will help me improve.”said Güler.
Arda Güler (from) celebrates a goal with Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa
This works, after all, his coaches are very impressed with the gifted left-footer. “He’s a young guy but with a lot of experience for his age. Like all players, he’s destined to experience big moments here”said Real coach Alvaro Arbeloa. And Montella praised: “He is now not only technically adept, but has also become better at positioning and scoring goals. Arda didn’t allow himself to be demotivated, but has become even stronger.”
Impressive development since leaving Fenerbahce
What the Turkey coach thinks: Güler was from 2023 Fenerbahçe moved to Madrid and had to learn there that it takes patience to assert yourself as a young player at one of the biggest clubs in the world. In his first season he only played 440 minutes, the following year it was 1,775 minutes, and this season he has already played 2,922 minutes in competitive games.
The 2024 European Championship fell in the middle of this development, in which Güler showed his huge talent, but was no longer able to shine in the decisive games. A lot of time has passed since then, he has grown as a footballer and is ready for the big moments like against Romania. “I’m on the rise. I can play in many positions, which improves my overview of the game”said Güler before the Romania game and added: “As long as we play together as a team, we can beat any team.”
This should also apply to Kosovo – then a long period of suffering would end for Turkey. Because of the long absence from the World Cup, Güler already emphasized: “Since we were eliminated in the quarter-finals of the World Cup against the Netherlands, we have been thinking about nothing other than taking part in the World Cup.” The order goes to Genie Güler.
