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Türkiye’s Youth Teams: From Preparation Matches to European CompetitionTürkiye’s Under-17 and Under-19 teams face important European tests in November 2026. Alongside their qualifying preparations, friendly tournaments give both coaching teams a chance to assess players and try different options before competitive matches begin.
The Under-17s enter this stage after winning the Telki Cup in August and making an encouraging start to a friendly tournament in Croatia. The Under-19s, meanwhile, are preparing for a European qualifying group they must win to stay on course for the 2027 finals.
This guide covers both teams’ results, forthcoming fixtures and selected squad members, and explains the different qualifying systems for the two age groups.
Last updated: 30 September 2026.
The two teams at a glance| Detail | Under-17s | Under-19s |
|---|---|---|
| Short name | Türkiye U17 | Türkiye U19 |
| Head coach | Güngör Öztürk | Uğur İnceman |
| Next European stage | Qualifying round 1 | Round 2 — League B |
| Immediate target | Finish in the top two | Win the group |
Each team has its own squad, programme and competition. Following both helps explain how the player pool is developing and how opportunities are shared between talent at Turkish clubs and academies abroad.
Under-17s: a Telki Cup title and an encouraging startTürkiye won the friendly Telki Cup tournament in Hungary on 30 August, completing their three matches with two wins and a draw.
| Date | Opponent | Türkiye’s result |
|---|---|---|
| 26 August 2026 | Italy | Drew 3–3 |
| 28 August 2026 | Hungary | Won 2–0 |
| 30 August 2026 | Saudi Arabia | Won 4–0 |
The team scored nine goals, conceded three and kept two clean sheets. Those results offer encouraging signs before the next tests, although European qualification remains the more important competitive objective.
Türkiye Under-17 players celebrate winning the friendly Telki Cup tournament in August 2026.
How have they performed in Croatia?By the update date, Türkiye had played two matches at the International Friendship Tournament in Medulin:
| Date | Opponent | Türkiye’s result |
|---|---|---|
| 26 September 2026 | Italy | Drew 3–3 |
| 29 September 2026 | Ukraine | Won 2–0 |
Eyüp Çetinkaya, Ali Karadaş and Esad Muhammed Deniz scored against Italy. Deniz then scored both goals against Ukraine, in the 17th and 23rd minutes, with the second coming from the penalty spot.
That gave Deniz three goals in Türkiye’s opening two matches at the tournament. A meeting with South Korea comes next, followed by a placement match against the team finishing in the corresponding position in the other group.
This is a preparation tournament: its results do not count towards European qualification.
The Under-17 route to EURO 2027Türkiye will host round 1 Group 11, facing North Macedonia, Hungary and San Marino.
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Group | Türkiye, North Macedonia, Hungary, San Marino |
| Host | Türkiye |
| Matchdays | 11, 14 and 17 November 2026 |
| Requirement to remain on course for the EURO finals | Finish first or second |
| Next stage | Round 2 League A, spring 2027 |
The top two teams in each of the 14 groups advance to League A. The round 2 groups then determine the seven teams joining hosts Latvia at the finals, scheduled for 24 May to 6 June 2027.
The spring stage has a further role: it also determines Europe’s qualifiers for the 2027 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar.
Under-19s: an Italian test before France and CroatiaTürkiye Under-19 began their International Friendship Tournament in Croatia with a 3–0 defeat by Italy on 28 September at Stadion SRC Mladost in Čakovec.
Italy scored in the 54th, 58th and 65th minutes, changing the match in a short spell during the second half. The result makes Türkiye’s ability to regain their organisation after conceding a useful point to watch in the next two games.
Türkiye’s Under-19 line-up before the match against Italy on 28 September 2026.
The team meet France on 1 October and Croatia on 4 October. Both matches provide opportunities to test understanding between the lines and readiness against different opponents before November’s competitive fixtures.
The response to the Italy match will be revealing. Does the team improve their build-up play? Can they retain their balance when the tempo changes? Such indicators help assess preparation alongside the final score.
The new Under-19 system: first place is essentialThe 2026–2027 edition introduces a three-round qualifying format. Round 1 took place in spring 2026; round 2 follows in November, with round 3 in spring 2027.
Türkiye are in League B Group 3:
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Group B3 | Türkiye, Estonia, Slovakia, Liechtenstein |
| Host | Türkiye |
| Matchdays | 11, 14 and 17 November 2026 |
| Requirement to reach the next stage | Finish first in the group |
| Next stage if successful | Round 3 League A, March 2027 |
Second place is not enough for Türkiye at this stage. League B group winners advance to round 3, where 28 teams compete for seven places at the finals.
Czechia will host the final tournament from 18 June to 1 July 2027. Winning November’s group is therefore a necessary step, while qualification for the finals will still depend on results in the following round.
Players to followBoth squads include players from Turkish clubs and European academies. The following selection is based on September’s lists, with each player’s broad position and listed club.
From the Under-17 squad:
| Player | Position | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Esad Muhammed Deniz | Forward | Juventus |
| Emre Kırar | Defender | Borussia Dortmund |
| Eyüp Çetinkaya | Midfielder | Fenerbahçe |
| Arda Durmaz | Midfielder | FC Nordsjælland |
From the Under-19 squad:
| Player | Position | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Deniz Eren Dönmezer | Goalkeeper | Kayserispor |
| Hasan Talha Ayyıldız | Midfielder | Ajax |
| Uğur Pusat Ay | Forward | Eintracht Frankfurt |
| Tarık Hamamioğlu | Forward | Heracles Almelo |
When assessing a young player, consistency, decision-making and movement off the ball help build a balanced picture. Goals may attract attention quickly, but successive matches reveal whether a player can fulfil their role and sustain their level against different opponents.
The Türkiye and Italy Under-19 captains with the match officials before the friendly.
The next fixtures to followAll times below are in Türkiye and Saudi Arabia time (UTC+3):
| Date | Match | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 1 October | Under-19: France v Türkiye | 13:45 |
| 2 October | Under-17: Türkiye v South Korea | 16:30 |
| 4 October | Under-19: Türkiye v Croatia | 13:00 |
| 6 October | Under-17: placement match | To be confirmed with the match programme |
These preparation matches take place in Croatia. European qualifying follows in November, with different requirements for the two teams, as the tables above explain.
Have your say: Which players do you expect to stand out in the coming qualifiers? Do friendly results give a sufficient picture of how ready a youth team is?
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