Türkiye will make its long-awaited return to the FIFA World Cup on Saturday when they face Australia in a Group D opening match at BC Place in Vancouver, Canada.
The tournament marks the first time the Crescent Stars have qualified for the global stage since their bronze-medal performance 24 years ago in 2002.
Çalhanoğlu Confident in Technical Edge
Türkiye captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu expressed immense confidence regarding his team's superior technical ability ahead of their final training session on Friday.
"Our coach analysed them with us together," Çalhanoğlu told media Friday ahead of Turkey's final training session before Saturday's clash.
The Inter Milan midfielder acknowledged the physical attributes of the Australian team but insisted that tactical superiority would dictate the outcome of the match.
"We know that they're a physical team, that they're good on corner kicks and the free kicks, because they are tall and strong," Çalhanoğlu said.
The skipper added that the squad remains highly focused on executing their game plan to secure an early advantage in a group that also includes Paraguay and the United States.
"But I think that we dominate tomorrow, the game, because we have more qualities and a more talented team, so we will see tomorrow what happens," Çalhanoğlu said.
The veteran midfielder also addressed the immense pressure coming from the football-mad population of 87.9 million people back home.
"It's [been] a long time, very long time," Çalhanoğlu said.
He noted that representing the nation on the world stage fulfills a childhood dream for many players in the squad.
"Everyone is waiting for tomorrow. We are proud, after 24 years, to be back again.
Everyone knows how it feels, and the pressure.
At the same time, it is for us to represent our nation; the moment comes now. Tomorrow is the day.
We've prepared for these two, three weeks, very well, and our focus is just on the game tomorrow," Çalhanoğlu said.
The Turkish skipper emphasized that despite the weight of expectation, the players are motivated to enjoy the milestone tournament.
"Everyone of us cares about [the expectations]. All the team, they know how the pressure is.
But at the same time, we also enjoy the moment.
We cannot forget the moment, because as a child, you always dream for that. So now, your dream has come true.
At the same time, of course, you want to represent the nation, your nation, as well as possible," Çalhanoğlu said.
TSG Hoffenheim central defender Ozan Kabak echoed his captain's sentiments regarding the external pressure surrounding their return.
"Obviously, it's big pressure, but we expect them to expect something from us," Kabak added.
The defender urged the team to bypass the noise and concentrate fully on their on-field performance.
"Because we haven't been on this stage, the biggest stage in the world. So, let's just focus on our game, not think about pressure and play our game.
I think we can, we can achieve something big and make them proud," Kabak added.
According to data from the Opta supercomputer, Türkiye enters the contest as the favorite with a 55.3% chance of victory, compared to a 20.5% chance for Australia.
The Socceroos have historically struggled in opening fixtures, losing their first match in five of their six previous World Cup appearances, and holding a record of 10 defeats in 17 total tournament matches since 2006.
However, Australia entered the tournament on an eight-match unbeaten run under head coach Tony Popovic, who helped secure automatic qualification through the AFC section.
