We believe they will do great things in the World Cup as well

Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Aşkın Bak stated that it was a very important and proud night for the Turkish nation in Kosovo, saying, “We are returning with success, God willing. We believe that our national team will do great things in the World Cup as well. We kiss these children on the forehead again and congratulate them. May it be auspicious for our nation.”

The Turkish National Football Team won 1-0 against Kosovo in the 2026 FIFA World Cup play-off final away from home and qualified for the finals. Following the match, Minister of Youth and Sports Osman Aşkın Bak made statements to the press. Minister Bak, beginning his speech by congratulating the national team on their success, said, “They made our nation proud. 86 million people watched them. If we include our citizens in Europe, the number would be much higher. It’s something to be proud of. It’s very valuable and important that our national team participated in the World Cup after 24 years. We congratulate our children. We have a good generation. New ones are coming, new ones are being added. This national team, which our coach and his team have built upon, did well in the European Championship, did well in their World Cup qualifying group, and did well in the Nations League. Therefore, they played two difficult matches. Stress is not easy. The Romania match was the same. And this match here was in cold weather, under the rain, but they knew how to play, they knew how to control the game, and they made our nation proud. Congratulations again to our nation.”

“It was a very important and proud night for our nation.”

Minister Bak stated that the Turkish nation was proud of the national team’s success, saying, “As a nation, we are proud of our national team’s achievements. We believe that everyone is walking around in the squares, shouting, celebrating, and waving flags. This pride belongs to Türkiye, this pride belongs to all of us. Our President followed the match, called, congratulated the athletes individually, congratulated the national team coach and the federation president. It was a very important and proud night for our nation. We believe they will do well in the USA as well. We trust them. They will continue to improve their performance in their group and matches.”

“We believe the national team will do great things in the World Cup as well.”

Emphasizing his belief that the national team will achieve significant success in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Minister Osman Aşkın Bak stated, “The young athletes were also performing well in their own teams. It’s wonderful to make our nation happy. Such important achievements make us all proud. The success of our children makes us proud. We thank our federation president and his team for their efforts. They followed closely, and so did we. We were together with excitement and enthusiasm at the matches. Today, the squares and streets in Kosovo were also full of enthusiasm. Kosovars also had a desire to go to the World Cup, but some said, ‘Even if we don’t go, Türkiye going will make us proud.’ So, it was a beautiful day in Kosovo. We are returning with success, God willing. We believe the national team will do great things in the World Cup as well. We kiss these children on the forehead again and congratulate them. May it be auspicious for our nation.” – PRISHTINA