Türkiye moved to the brink of ending their long World Cup absence on Thursday as Ferdi Kadıoğlu struck in the second half to seal a 1-0 playoff win over Romania, following a moment of brilliance from Arda Güler, APA reports.
In a high-stakes encounter at Beşiktaş Park, the deadlock was broken in the 53rd minute when Real Madrid midfielder Güler produced a superb defense-splitting pass to pick out Kadıoğlu, who controlled and finished calmly to give the hosts the lead.
The win sends Türkiye into the playoff final on March 31, where they will face Kosovo for a place at the 2026 World Cup after Kosovo beat Slovakia 4-3.