Kosovo vs Turkey prediction 31.03.2026 | World Cup qualifications

Kosovo have a historic two years behind them. In the Nations League, they progressed to League B for the first time, while after a brilliant World Cup qualification, Kosovo are close to their first major tournament. In the group phase, they surprisingly ended second and secured a playoff, where Kosovo shockingly won 4-3 in Bratislava. Slovakia ended with an xG of 1.61, while the guests had 1.10, but Kosovo's brilliant efficiency was enough to progress to the final round.

Kosovo's head coach, Franco Foda, was ecstatic after an outstanding victory in Bratislava. He said, "I always believe in the team and, despite twice being behind, they all believed in themselves to fight. I'm very proud of this team, and I think after 90 minutes it was a deserved victory."

Kosovo are without Napoli's Amir Rrahmani and Hoffenheim's Leon Avdullahi. With those two players, Franco Foda's team would have significantly better chances of progressing to the World Cup, but there is no doubt that the available squad will do everything in their power in the deciding tie.

Turkey missed the previous five World Cups, and missing another would be a disaster, especially after the quarterfinal at the European Championship two years ago. Turkey didn't have a real chance to progress directly to the tournament being played this summer in North America, as Spain looked too good in their group. Turkey are in excellent form with four wins and one draw in the last five matches. In the previous playoff round, Turkey won 1-0 at home against Romania. Although the guests remained in the match until the final whistle, Turkey were a significantly better side and probably deserved a victory with a more significant margin.

After a narrow win against Romania, Turkey's head coach, Vincenzo Montella, was delighted. He said, "I am very pleased with the performance. It wasn't going to be easy. The opponent sat back throughout the first half. We talked with our players at halftime; we needed to be more dynamic and make runs behind the defense. I congratulate Arda and Ferdi; we scored a beautiful goal. Our players were patient; they didn't open up the distances. In the end, we achieved the victory we wanted. Now my thoughts are on the other opponent; I am eagerly waiting."

Turkish media is writing that Vincenzo Montella is considering squad changes for the game against Kosovo. According them, Orkan Kokcu will be another player in the midfield, while Kerem Akturkoglu will move to the bench. Also, right-back Zeki Celik should be fit enough to start instead of Mert Muldur.