The World Cup is less than three months away — and just six of the tournament’s 48 spots remain in open contention.
On Tuesday, eight teams from Europe will compete for four World Cup berths while four global nations (Jamaica, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Iraq and Bolivia) will compete for two.
Of the six matchups, one — Kosovo versus Turkiye — holds special importance for the U.S. Men’s National Team. The winner of that clash will join it in World Cup Group D alongside Paraguay and Australia.
But who are these teams? How did they get here? What’s their history with the World Cup? And what challenge could they bring to the USMNT?
Turkiye — ranked 24th in the world
On paper, Turkiye is the favorite here — and the most dangerous option for the USMNT by far. The two teams met last June in East Hartford, CT, and Turkiye took the USMNT down, 2-1.
Turkiye has been a regular player in European tournaments for years. Its breakthrough came in 2008, when coach Fatih Terim led it to an unexpected semifinal finish at the European Championships; it eliminated favorite Croatia there on its way to the final four. Turkiye made it to the quarterfinals of the 2024 European Championships and took down Austria, Georgia and Czechia to get there.
For all its strength in European competition, though, Turkiye hasn’t qualified for a World Cup since 2002. That tournament, though, was something of a generational performance for the country. It defeated China, Japan, Senegal and host South Korea on its way to a staggering third-place finish.
Turkiye’s biggest boon in recent years has been its young attackers: No other nation beyond Spain has young players who share the same balance of potential and international experience. Real Madrid’s Arda Guler is expected to lead Turkiye’s front line in this qualifier, while Juventus attacker Kenan Yildiz — a friend and teammate of the USMNT’s Weston McKennie — will back him up.
Kosovo — ranked 78th in the world
Tiny Kosovo might look like an underdog, but don’t be fooled: It earned this World Cup playoff spot fair and square through its metronomic consistency in European play. The Balkan nation is unbeaten in six matches and has scalped previous World Cup qualifiers like Sweden, Slovenia, Slovakia and Switzerland along the way.
It’s also entering into this playoff with home field advantage. The match will be played in Pristina, Kosovo’s capital, in front of a raucous home crowd desperate to see its nation qualify for its first independent World Cup.
Kosovo has a storied international soccer history as part of Yugoslavia, but its journey as an independent FIFA nation began just 12 years ago in 2014. It’s played many important matches since then, but none bigger than its World Cup playoff against Slovakia on Saturday. In a do-or-die fixture against an experienced World Cup opponent, Kosovo buckled down and won 4-3 thanks to a bravura second half performance from its attack. That’s Kosovo’s secret: As games stretch on and legs get tired, Kosovo gets better.
Beating Turkiye and qualifying for the World Cup would be Kosovo’s biggest soccer achievement as an independent nation. And while it’s not the odds-on favorite to do so, it does have a better shot than many people think. Its indefatigable forward line could give the USMNT serious problems at the World Cup. Tiny or not, Kosovo is no minnow here.
Kosovo will host Turkiye in the final World Cup playoff on Tuesday in Pristina. The match winner will join the USMNT, Paraguay and Australia in Group D of the World Cup; the loser will be eliminated from World Cup contention.
