Türkiye open World Cup preparations with first Florida training session

Türkiye's national football team opened their 2026 FIFA World Cup preparations on Wednesday with an inaugural training session at the Florida Blue Training Center in Fort Lauderdale, working under head coach Vincenzo Montella ahead of next month's tournament. The Crescent-Stars gathered at the Inter Miami CF facility to begin acclimatization drills before their June 6 friendly against Venezuela.

Montella names star-studded squad

Montella on Tuesday revealed a 26-man squad featuring established stars including Inter Milan's Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Real Madrid's Arda Güler, Benfica's Kerem Aktürkoğlu and Galatasaray's Barış Alper Yılmaz. The Italian manager will use the Florida camp to fine-tune tactical preparations before the team faces Venezuela at Inter Miami CF Stadium, their final warm-up match before competitive action begins.

Group D schedule and Arizona base

Following the Venezuela friendly, Türkiye will shift focus to Group D play at the World Cup, opening against Australia on June 13 before facing Paraguay on June 20 and co-host the United States on June 26. The squad will subsequently relocate to Mesa, Arizona — unlike their Group D rivals — establishing headquarters at a facility equipped with 24 multipurpose training grounds for the duration of their campaign.

Tournament opens June 11

The 2026 FIFA World Cup — co-hosted by the United States, Mexico and Canada — kicks off on June 11 and will feature 48 nations competing through July 19. Montella's side aims to advance beyond the group stage for the first time since their semi-final run in 2002, with the expanded format offering additional pathways to the knockout rounds.