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"More talented": Turkiye captain's brutal Socceroos sledge
SEN • June 14th, 2026 10:04 am
- Socceroos v Turkiye starts at 2pm AEST
- Brazil v Morocco 8am AEST
- Haiti v Scotland 11am AEST
World Cup daily news. We will bring you the latest from around the world as the FIFA World Cup 2026™ finally gets under way.(All times AEST)
Inter Milan veteran Hakan Çalhanoğlu is full of big talk when it comes to his side’s opening World Cup clash against the Socceroos on Sunday (AEST).
Turkiye, ranked 22nd in the world and only five spots higher than Australia, are playing in their first World Cup since 2002, but they are not short on confidence.
Asked what he thought about their opening Group D opponents, the Turkish captain said: “I think that we will dominate.
“We have more qualities and a more talented team, so we will see tomorrow what happens.”
Asked what features they would be cautious of when it comes to the Socceroos, he added: “Our coach analysed them with us together.
“We know that they’re a physical team, that they’re good on the corner kicks and the free kicks because they are tall and strong.”
Turkey have been widely tipped to win the Group which is completed by the USA and Paraguay who played their opening match on Saturday (AEST) with the co-hosts winning 4-1.
Asked about Çalhanoğlu’s comments, Australia coach Tony Popovic said: “I respect his comment, and he has a right to be asked a question, and he has a right to answer it any way he likes.
“They expect to win, but so do most people. They expect Turkiye here to beat Australia tomorrow, so that’s no different.
“So all we can do is try and spoil the party.”
WE WILL BE LIVE FOR AUSTRALIA V TURKIYE FROM 1PM AEST KICK-OFF IS 2PM
