20.06.2026 10:41
After our National Football Team's group-stage elimination from the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a pre-tournament dialogue between Merih Demiral and İrfan Can Kahveci resurfaced. While İrfan Can's statement, 'I want to wake them up with a goal,' was shared thousands of times on social media, it drew attention that the experienced player did not get any playing time in either match.
Competing in Group D of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, our National Football Team made an early exit from the tournament after losing first to Australia and then to Paraguay. The Crescent-Stars failed to earn any points in two matches and also could not find the back of the net.
WE CONCEDED EARLY GOALS IN BOTH MATCHES
The Nationals fell behind in the 27th minute against Australia, while in the Paraguay match, they conceded a goal just 65 seconds into the game. In both tournament matches, our National Team lost the lead to their opponents and could not experience the joy of scoring.
THAT DIALOGUE IS BACK ON THE AGENDA
After the Paraguay defeat, the conversation between Merih Demiral and İrfan Can Kahveci on a YouTube program before the World Cup was brought back into the spotlight.
The dialogue between the two went as follows:
Merih Demiral: "The matches start early in the morning."
İrfan Can Kahveci: "I want to wake them up with a goal."
Merih Demiral: "Let me tell you something, this is directly a headline right now."
HE DID NOT GET ANY PLAYING TIME
It drew attention that İrfan Can Kahveci, who made these statements, did not play in either of the two World Cup matches. The experienced footballer remained on the bench during the Australia and Paraguay games and did not enter the field.
IT WAS SHARED THOUSANDS OF TIMES ON SOCIAL MEDIA
After our National Team bid farewell to the World Cup without scoring a goal, these images circulated again. İrfan Can Kahveci's words, "I want to wake them up with a goal," were among the most shared content on social media. Some fans also noted that the experienced player had not received any playing time.