Turkey host North Macedonia in Istanbul friendly ahead of 2026 World Cup

Turkey take on North Macedonia at 6:30pm BST on Monday 2 June in Istanbul, in the first of two warm-up friendlies ahead of their 2026 World Cup campaign.

Vincenzo Montella’s side arrive in strong form, having beaten Romania and Kosovo in back-to-back fixtures. Turkey have won seven of their last ten matches across all competitions, and the Italian coach will be looking to carry that momentum into the summer tournament in the United States.

Real Madrid’s Arda Güler and Juventus forward Kenan Yıldız are among the most prominent names in the squad, with both players expected to push for prominent roles at the World Cup. The friendly gives Montella a chance to assess his options and settle on combinations before the tournament begins.

North Macedonia, by contrast, have no such stakes riding on the result. Their World Cup hopes ended in March when they were beaten 4-0 by Denmark in a play-off eliminator, ending any prospect of a first major tournament appearance. The side travel to Istanbul with little beyond pride to play for, though Napoli midfielder Eljif Elmas — now with 77 international caps — remains their most dangerous creative outlet and will be expected to lead the line in midfield.

Turkey have a second warm-up fixture scheduled after this match before their World Cup squad is finalised, meaning Montella is likely to use the North Macedonia game to rotate and experiment rather than field his strongest possible eleven from the outset.