Cyprus Times

Turkey Eliminates Romania, Advances to World Cup Playoff Final

Published March 26, 2026, 20:09
Turkey Eliminates Romania, Advances to World Cup Playoff Final

Turkey advanced to the World Cup playoff final, defeating Romania 1-0 at home. The goal was scored by Kandıoğlu in the 53rd minute, following an excellent assist. Pafos' Dragomir played the entire 90 minutes for Romania. The match was tight, with both teams hitting the woodwork once. Turkey were better and created more chances, while Romania tried to threaten mainly from the left side. Turkey started with a 4-2-3-1 formation and Romania with a 4-3-3. The Turks pressed high from the start, while the Romanians tried to find spaces in the Turkish defense. Turkey will face the winner of the Slovakia-Kosovo match in the playoff final. This victory gives Turkey the opportunity to compete for a place in the World Cup.