World Cup 2026: Turkey's bad habit continues against Australia

World Cup 2026 Today at 06:21

Nouya M'toama

News Editor

History, unfortunately, repeated itself for Turkey. Defeated 2-0 by Australia in their opening match at the 2026 World Cup, the Turkish side confirmed an unenviable statistic: they have never won their first match at a World Cup.

The tradition continues for Turkey at the World Cup. In their third appearance at the tournament, the Turkish squad once again started with a loss. In their very first participation in 1954, they stumbled out of the gate with a 4-1 defeat to Germany. Forty-eight years later, at the 2002 World Cup, they again began their campaign with a loss, this time to Brazil (2-1), before making a historic run to third place.

Twenty-four years after that remarkable campaign, Turkey returns to the world stage but once again opens with a setback. Against a solid Australian side, the men under their manager never found an answer and leave empty-handed.

Three appearances, three opening defeats: the losing streak continues. The Turks will now have to react quickly in their next match to avoid jeopardizing their chances of qualifying from the group stage.