The Türkiye national football team’s squad for the matches against France, Italy and Belgium in the UEFA Nations League A League has been announced. İlhan Fakılı, Adil Demirbağ, Bartuğ Elmaz and Melih Kabasakal have been called up to the senior national team for the first time.
Türkiye will host France in Kocaeli on September 26 and Italy in Bursa on September 28. Türkiye will visit Belgium on October 2, while the second match against Italy will be played in Bologna on October 5.
Why it matters
The call-up of four footballers making their first appearance in the squad indicates that the coaching staff is seeking to expand the current player pool and assess different options. For these players, the matches will be a test of experiencing their first senior national team games and adapting to the international pace in a short period of time. The scheduling of four matches within a short timeframe, consisting of two home and two away games, directly raises the issue of player usage and squad rotation. The matches in Kocaeli and Bursa will offer an opportunity to connect with local spectators, while the game in Bologna will showcase the team’s performance in away conditions. The open question is to what extent the newly called-up players will get playing time during this demanding schedule and whether they can permanently expand the team’s options.
Background
UEFA is not a new name in the FikirPilot archive: we have published 4 reports mentioning the name in the past 90 days; the most recent is dated September 15, 2026.