The National Football Team will face Paraguay in the second match of the 2026 World Cup G Group on Saturday, June 20, at 06:00 CET in San Francisco. Hamit Altıntop, who played for the crescent-star jersey for many years and then served as the National Team Manager in the Turkish Football Federation, made special statements to Demirören News Agency (DHA) in San Francisco.
Stating that the National Football Team can turn the pressure on it into a positive with the quality of its players, Hamit Altıntop said, “Unfortunately, we missed the opportunity to start well. This is, of course, a disadvantage. In the second match, there will inevitably be a little more pressure on the players and the coach. This is quite natural. We can turn this into a positive with our quality and our fellow players.”
“THESE CRITICISM WILL MOTIVATE MORE”
Stating that he observed that the criticisms affected the national players, but that this would motivate the players more, Altıntop said, “I have been observing this for the last 3 days. It seems to have affected them. I am not sure whether this is against the media or against them. Some of the statements are below the belt, shameful. I find it a bit unnecessary. These criticisms will motivate my brothers more. At the same time, this experience will add maturity to them in a positive way in the future.”
“THIS TEAM IS STILL IN THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS”
Pointing out that the 2005 generation is at the beginning of its journey and in the process of development, Hamit Altıntop pointed out that the big goals set can create pressure on the team. Stating that young players will mature in big tournaments, Hamit Altıntop continued his words as follows:
“Participating after a long time shows that we are on the right track. There is something we underline. We underlined that our brothers from 2005 are at the beginning of the road, that they will mature in these tournaments and start to become world stars. From time to time, statements such as ‘We are leaving, we will return with the cup’ go to extremes. This creates the following problem. If such a thing comes out of your mouth and you lose in the first match, ‘No way, we were going to come with the cup. We are going to come with the cup. “We couldn’t win. Of course, it is in our nation’s DNA to have big goals. At the same time, we need to be realistic. Let’s not forget that this team is still in the process of development.”
“THE BIGGEST NEED OF THESE CHILDREN…”
In response to the question about how the players of the national teams should be protected in such big tournaments, Hamit Altıntop said, “We do not need to protect these children. The biggest need of these children is healthy returns. What are these returns? After such a match, we need to put the news and headlines in front of them, put them on the agenda with these, we need to ensure that the deficiencies of this game, how the deficiencies should be completed, how it should be improved. This is primarily the responsibility of Montella and his team. At the same time, the stakeholders around him. Who are these stakeholders; they are the media, sponsors, “They are parents, spouses, friends. Being more content-oriented will take us forward,” he said.
“WE HAVE TO WALK FORWARD WITH DETERMINATION”
Hamit Altıntop, who played an important role in the selection of players such as Kenan Yıldız, Can Uzun and Deniz Gül to Türkiye during his time in the national teams, said that the development of these players should be ensured. Altıntop said:
“First of all, it is very important that we here, these brothers, feel good, comfortable and develop in a healthy, beautiful environment. We worked with these friends together with our teachers. I believe that I have partially shown our projects, how we work, what we can do. Of course, football is after the match, before the match, as the Germans say. That is in the past. We need to look forward. We need to focus seriously. We need to move forward with determination.”
“ONE OF OUR BIGGEST DISADVANTAGES…”
Pointing out that there may be some relaxation when success is achieved and that warnings should be made from time to time, Altıntop used the following expressions:
“Players have turning points. It is necessary to be close to the players at turning points. It is necessary to give them the right feedback. It is necessary to give warnings from time to time. Because, one of our biggest disadvantages is that when we achieve success, we can relax a little. We can lose our focus and concentration. When we look at this, the best players in the world do not lose their seriousness in any way, regardless of their teams or countries. There is no relaxation. They try to increase their will and performance day by day. The biggest examples of this are Messi and Ronaldo. When you see Cristiano Even though his physical conditions are a little more limited, his determination, ambition and desire do not decrease in any way, and this has a lot to do with mental coaching and the environment.”
“THE MIX OF TWO TEAMS COULD BE VERY EFFECTIVE IN TODAY’S FOOTBALL”
Stating that the mixture of the team competing in EURO 2008 and the current national team could be much more effective today, Hamit Altıntop said, “It is a very different team. The current team is a team that survives with its organization, technique and formation on the field. We can say that our team was a little more physical, a little more passionate, enthusiastic, a little more communicative and aggressive. It is a little difficult to compare, but the mixture of the two could be very effective in today’s football.”
“REACHING IN THE TOP 8 WOULD BE A NICE ACHIEVEMENT”
Altıntop underlined that reaching the quarter-finals in the World Cup after the European Championship could be a good success, but that it is necessary to go step by step, and said, “The target is very difficult to explain, but going to the groups, going step by step. Getting into the quarter-finals, the top 8, would be a good success. You have entered the top 8 in the European Championship. The top 8 here underlines the self-confidence and the right work. The more supportive and embracing this structure, the more the audience can achieve this team.”
“I SEE FRANCE ONE STEP AHEAD”
Underlining that he sees France one step ahead in the World Cup, but that daily performances will also be effective, Hamit Altıntop said, “With the new technology, you can see how close the teams can be to each other. When you look at the Austria – Jordan match yesterday, a Jordan team participated for the first time. You think that Austria is a well-established team that has achieved stability with coach Ralf. When you watch the match, the match goes back and forth. Now, physical strength, tempo, match intensity and concentration are so important that they could affect both sides positively or negatively. My favorite is definitely “France. France has incredible tempo and talent offensively. Mbappe is now an experienced player and a player who has won the cup. Of course, the draws and daily performances will also affect them.”
“Even though we criticize FIFA…”
Stating that the water breaks given in the matches can be an advantage for the coaches, Hamit Altıntop said, “It can be an advantage, especially for the coaches. Because you have 3 minutes. You can intervene technically and tactically in those 3 minutes, which is a great advantage. But in the Austria – Jordan match, it was 15 degrees at 9 in the evening. Is there a need for a water break there? Actually, there is no need for a water break. We need to weigh it this way. Financial expectations have partially grown in both the federations and the players’ clubs. The expenses have increased. FIFA and UEFA are also in this for us.” havuzu nasıl büyütürüz diye kafa yoruyorlar. Bu havuz da böyle ilk yarı 3 dakikada, ikinci yarıda 3 dakika reklamla beraber bütçeyi arttırıyorlar. Yani burada FIFA’ya eleştiride bulunsak da diğer taraftan onları anlamak lazım. Beklentiler ve masraflar artıyor. Bir nevi bir yerden yine almanız lazım. Burada en büyük rahatsız edici konu aslında coğrafi anlamda mesafeler çok uzun. Katar’da FIFA başkanı maçların yüzde 95’ini canlı izledi. Mesafeler yakındı. Burada ise mesafeler ve saat farkı var. Bu da biraz zorlaştırabiliyor. “This was also known when FIFA members voted for America,” he said.
“IF THERE IS A DUTY ONE DAY…”
Asked whether he would be actively involved in football in the future, Hamit Altıntop stated that he wanted to continue his career. Stating that he is in communication with football stakeholders, Altıntop continued his words as follows:
“It’s my luck. I’m not on an active duty at the moment. Even though I’m in America right now, I’m in contact with football stakeholders and player groups. I’m in contact with the coaches. We share information, the environment, what we can do. If there is a duty tomorrow or one day, I would like to continue my favorite profession in this life. I would like to share my experience and knowledge. Time will tell.”
“WE BELIEVE IN THEM, WE KNOW THEY CAN ACHIEVE IT”
Saying that he trusts the national football players and knows that they can succeed, Hamit Altıntop concluded his words as follows:
“I want to tell my brothers this. This process is played in the head and ends in the head. How much effort they have put in to get here. They have not lost everything in one match. There are still 2 matches left. We believe in them, we know they can succeed. At the end of the day, we have no choice but to pray for them. I hope they will excite us all again with a beautiful spark and take us all to the streets. We congratulate them too.”