14.06.2026 16:30
In their first test in Group D of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, our National Football Team lost 2-0 to Australia. Captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu answered journalists' questions after the match. Hakan Çalhanoğlu's response to a question that angered him drew attention. Here are the details...
Following the Turkish National Football Team's 2-0 defeat against Australia, a tense and striking dialogue took place between Hakan Çalhanoğlu and a foreign journalist during the press conference.
ÇALHANOĞLU DEFENDED THE PERFORMANCE DISPLAYED
While morale was low in the Turkish National Team after losing 2-0 to Australia in their first World Cup match, captain Hakan Çalhanoğlu's post-match statements made headlines. In the press conference held after the match, the experienced midfielder defended the performance displayed despite the defeat.
DIALOGUE THAT STOOD OUT IN THE PRESS CONFERENCE
During the meeting, a foreign journalist's question referencing Çalhanoğlu's bold pre-match remarks stirred the atmosphere in the room. The journalist asked, "Yesterday, you said Turkey is a more talented team and would dominate the match. What went wrong? Did Australia's performance surprise you?"
''DO YOU THINK WE DID NOT DOMINATE THE GAME?''
Hakan Çalhanoğlu firmly countered this question, unable to hide his irritation, saying, "I disagree with you. Everyone saw that we completely dominated the game today. Do you think we did not dominate the game? Australia just waited back and defended well. They played two long balls and scored goals. These were entirely our individual mistakes."
''THE ONLY MISSING THING WAS THE GOAL''
Emphasizing that they had possession and control throughout the match, the captain stated, "If you control the game for 90 minutes and cannot score, it means you must focus on every second, every minute, and never give up. I think we played a good match. The only thing we could not do was score a goal."