Altay Bayindir is in high spirits as Turkey secured a spot at the 2026 World Cup after winning their playoff final against Kosovo.
While the dream of competing at the World Cup slipped from beneath Manchester United duo Rasmus Hojlund and Patrick Dorgu, with Czechia getting the better of Denmark on penalties, that was not the case for Altay Bayindir and the Turkey national team.
The test for United players belonging to nations that have qualified for the World Cup will be to ensure they do enough over the coming weeks to warrant a place in the selected World Cup squads.
It means players like Kobbie Mainoo have seven games left to play to impress Thomas Tuchel, who has an array of quality midfielders to select from.
With the World Cup now weeks away, which players do you predict will do well at the tournament?
And how far will they make it?👀
Altay Bayindir honoured by Turkey’s successful World Cup qualification campaign
Turkey ended a 24-year wait to qualify for the World Cup by beating Kosovo 1-0 in their playoff final on Tuesday.
The only goal was scored by Kerem Akturkoglu in the 53rd minute, who helped the nation secure World Cup qualification for the first time since 2002.
Turkey, ranked 25th in the world, had fallen short in qualifying campaigns over the past two decades. But coach Vincenzo Montella has lifted a nation by guiding the team to this summer’s tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada.
United goalkeeper Altay Bayindir was part of the Turkey squad, but didn’t feature in the two playoff matches that led to qualification.
Still, Bayindir is proud of the achievement, and it means he’ll likely be going to the World Cup this summer.
The Turkish stopper took to Instagram, writing: “We waited 24 years… Patience, faith… and victory. This victory belongs to all of us, the Turkish nation.”]
Senne Lammens is a clear upgrade on Altay Bayindir
How many points did Bayindir cost United at the start of the season?
When did Altay Bayindir last play for Turkey?
Ugurcan Çakir was the preferred goalkeeper option as Turkey beat Kosovo.
Even though Bayindir is not a starter for Turkey, he is still deemed a regular in the squad and is likely to be selected for the World Cup.
Bayindir last appeared for Turkey in November 2025, in a World Cup qualifier against Spain that ended in a 2-2 draw.
With Bayindir’s future at Old Trafford up in the air, the 27-year-old could use the World Cup to his advantage. That will require taking Çakir’s role as first choice goalkeeper.
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