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

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.

Nouya M'toama

Editorfr, en

Versatile journalist specializing in sports and political news, with extensive experience across radio, print and digital media platforms.