by Craig Laycock
Original article:
Player Preview - Kenan Yıldız
Features in Group D: USA, Paraguay, Australia, Türkiye
While many of the young up-and-coming talents we’ve covered so far in the run up to the 2026 World Cup have been little-known to the world, we’re betting a few of you out there have heard the name Kenan Yıldız, a man whose name literally means "star" in Turkish. If that's not nominative determinism, we don't know what is.
The Juventus youngster is undoubtedly on the rise, but could this be the tournament where he steps into the spotlight previously occupied by compatriot Arda Güler as a global star in his own right? We think so.
Position: Attacking Mid / Left Wing / Second Striker
Age: 21
Club: Juventus
International caps: 28 senior, 8 U21s, 10 U17s
Who the heck is Kenan Yıldız
Perhaps the biggest name we’ve covered so far, Yıldız is still on the rise and this could be the tournament where he makes a name for himself in a group we expect Türkiye to potentially win under the gaze of the host nation’s fans.
What has he done so far?
Yıldız is already showing himself to be an elite player at club level, with 10 goals and 6 assists in Series A, with 7.0+ average scores across sites like FotMob. No easy feat. He’s also the youngest non-Italian to score for Juventus in Serie A, and their youngest-ever Champions League goalscorer. This tournament is coming at just the right time to push his ascendancy onto the international stage.
At international level, he chose to represent Türkiye instead of Germany, despite a German upbringing. He was a key player in Türkiye’s World Cup qualifying campaign. Romania considered him such a danger that they “marked [him] with three players”, in his own words, creating space for his team-mates. He also rattled the crossbar in that critical qualifier, which Türkiye went on to win.
What’s his style of play?
Very versatile as an attacking threat, typically playing as left sided forward who cuts inside, but equally a dangerous central number 10 who can play off both feet. He’s got an incredible instinct for finding pockets of space and moving between the lines and is generally a mobile menace with incredible technical ability. He can play as a second striker too, so is really the all-round creative nightmare defenders absolutely hate to wake up to having to face.
World Cup thunderbastard fans will be happy to hear he has a great long-range shot on him, too, so alongside the creativity of Arda Güler, we could be in for a real spectacle from Türkiye, which is why I’ve tipped them as one of the potential top sides at the tournament.
What do we think he’ll do at the tournament?
We expect him to be a potential star of the tournament. Perhaps the best player we’ll cover in these previews, he can do great things at the 2026 World Cup. We think he’ll start on the left and cut in repeatedly as a inverted winger and will shake Australia to its core with his dynamic movement.
Vs Paraguay we think he’s perfect for Türkiye to unlock what we expect to be a very low block. Expect him to find pockets of space where none should exist, and score or assist others, disrupting Paraguay’s shape throughout.
The fact that he can draw multiple defenders out of position makes him an extremely difficult opponent, and even if he doesn’t score, he’ll create space for the likes of Arda Güler.
He’ll score at least one long range beauty in my opinion.
The Tournament Scout Prediction:
If things fall into place, Kenan Yıldız could be one of the players of the tournament. Expect the world to be talking about him as the tournament progresses, especially if Türkiye live up to our expectations here at The Tournament Scout of winning their group even when up against the hosts.
Individual accolades:
Golden Boy Web Award: Winner (2024)
Serie A Player of the Month: August 2025
Serie A Rising Star of the Month: November 2025 and March 2026
Serie A Goal of the Season: 2024/25
Serie A Team of the Season: 2024/25
Serie A Goal of the Month: January 2025
Juventus Player of the Month: January 2025 and November 2025 (MVP)
Kopa Trophy Nominee: Shortlisted in 2025 for the world's best U21 player award
Related articles:
Read our Group D preview
See how opponents Paraguay might get on
Check out Paraguay v Australia's fixture
9 min read
Player Preview - Kenan Yıldız
Features in Group D: USA, Paraguay, Australia, Türkiye
While many of the young up-and-coming talents we’ve covered so far in the run up to the 2026 World Cup have been little-known to the world, we’re betting a few of you out there have heard the name Kenan Yıldız, a man whose name literally means "star" in Turkish. If that's not nominative determinism, we don't know what is.
The Juventus youngster is undoubtedly on the rise, but could this be the tournament where he steps into the spotlight previously occupied by compatriot Arda Güler as a global star in his own right? We think so.
Position: Attacking Mid / Left Wing / Second Striker
Age: 21
Club: Juventus
International caps: 28 senior, 8 U21s, 10 U17s
Who the heck is Kenan Yıldız
Perhaps the biggest name we’ve covered so far, Yıldız is still on the rise and this could be the tournament where he makes a name for himself in a group we expect Türkiye to potentially win under the gaze of the host nation’s fans.
What has he done so far?
Yıldız is already showing himself to be an elite player at club level, with 10 goals and 6 assists in Series A, with 7.0+ average scores across sites like FotMob. No easy feat. He’s also the youngest non-Italian to score for Juventus in Serie A, and their youngest-ever Champions League goalscorer. This tournament is coming at just the right time to push his ascendancy onto the international stage.
At international level, he chose to represent Türkiye instead of Germany, despite a German upbringing. He was a key player in Türkiye’s World Cup qualifying campaign. Romania considered him such a danger that they “marked [him] with three players”, in his own words, creating space for his team-mates. He also rattled the crossbar in that critical qualifier, which Türkiye went on to win.
What’s his style of play?
Very versatile as an attacking threat, typically playing as left sided forward who cuts inside, but equally a dangerous central number 10 who can play off both feet. He’s got an incredible instinct for finding pockets of space and moving between the lines and is generally a mobile menace with incredible technical ability. He can play as a second striker too, so is really the all-round creative nightmare defenders absolutely hate to wake up to having to face.
World Cup thunderbastard fans will be happy to hear he has a great long-range shot on him, too, so alongside the creativity of Arda Güler, we could be in for a real spectacle from Türkiye, which is why I’ve tipped them as one of the potential top sides at the tournament.
What do we think he’ll do at the tournament?
We expect him to be a potential star of the tournament. Perhaps the best player we’ll cover in these previews, he can do great things at the 2026 World Cup. We think he’ll start on the left and cut in repeatedly as a inverted winger and will shake Australia to its core with his dynamic movement.
Vs Paraguay we think he’s perfect for Türkiye to unlock what we expect to be a very low block. Expect him to find pockets of space where none should exist, and score or assist others, disrupting Paraguay’s shape throughout.
The fact that he can draw multiple defenders out of position makes him an extremely difficult opponent, and even if he doesn’t score, he’ll create space for the likes of Arda Güler.
He’ll score at least one long range beauty in my opinion.
The Tournament Scout Prediction:
If things fall into place, Kenan Yıldız could be one of the players of the tournament. Expect the world to be talking about him as the tournament progresses, especially if Türkiye live up to our expectations here at The Tournament Scout of winning their group even when up against the hosts.
Individual accolades:
Golden Boy Web Award: Winner (2024)
Serie A Player of the Month: August 2025
Serie A Rising Star of the Month: November 2025 and March 2026
Serie A Goal of the Season: 2024/25
Serie A Team of the Season: 2024/25
Serie A Goal of the Month: January 2025
Juventus Player of the Month: January 2025 and November 2025 (MVP)
Kopa Trophy Nominee: Shortlisted in 2025 for the world's best U21 player award
Related articles:
Read our Group D preview
See how opponents Paraguay might get on
Check out Paraguay v Australia's fixture
Kenan Yildiz: Türkiye's star is set to shine
He's a literal "star"
Original article:
Last updated:
Player Preview - Kenan Yıldız
Features in Group D: USA, Paraguay, Australia, Türkiye
While many of the young up-and-coming talents we’ve covered so far in the run up to the 2026 World Cup have been little-known to the world, we’re betting a few of you out there have heard the name Kenan Yıldız, a man whose name literally means "star" in Turkish. If that's not nominative determinism, we don't know what is.
The Juventus youngster is undoubtedly on the rise, but could this be the tournament where he steps into the spotlight previously occupied by compatriot Arda Güler as a global star in his own right? We think so.
Position: Attacking Mid / Left Wing / Second Striker
Age: 21
Club: Juventus
International caps: 28 senior, 8 U21s, 10 U17s
Who the heck is Kenan Yıldız
Perhaps the biggest name we’ve covered so far, Yıldız is still on the rise and this could be the tournament where he makes a name for himself in a group we expect Türkiye to potentially win under the gaze of the host nation’s fans.
What has he done so far?
Yıldız is already showing himself to be an elite player at club level, with 10 goals and 6 assists in Series A, with 7.0+ average scores across sites like FotMob. No easy feat. He’s also the youngest non-Italian to score for Juventus in Serie A, and their youngest-ever Champions League goalscorer. This tournament is coming at just the right time to push his ascendancy onto the international stage.
At international level, he chose to represent Türkiye instead of Germany, despite a German upbringing. He was a key player in Türkiye’s World Cup qualifying campaign. Romania considered him such a danger that they “marked [him] with three players”, in his own words, creating space for his team-mates. He also rattled the crossbar in that critical qualifier, which Türkiye went on to win.
What’s his style of play?
Very versatile as an attacking threat, typically playing as left sided forward who cuts inside, but equally a dangerous central number 10 who can play off both feet. He’s got an incredible instinct for finding pockets of space and moving between the lines and is generally a mobile menace with incredible technical ability. He can play as a second striker too, so is really the all-round creative nightmare defenders absolutely hate to wake up to having to face.
World Cup thunderbastard fans will be happy to hear he has a great long-range shot on him, too, so alongside the creativity of Arda Güler, we could be in for a real spectacle from Türkiye, which is why I’ve tipped them as one of the potential top sides at the tournament.
What do we think he’ll do at the tournament?
We expect him to be a potential star of the tournament. Perhaps the best player we’ll cover in these previews, he can do great things at the 2026 World Cup. We think he’ll start on the left and cut in repeatedly as a inverted winger and will shake Australia to its core with his dynamic movement.
Vs Paraguay we think he’s perfect for Türkiye to unlock what we expect to be a very low block. Expect him to find pockets of space where none should exist, and score or assist others, disrupting Paraguay’s shape throughout.
The fact that he can draw multiple defenders out of position makes him an extremely difficult opponent, and even if he doesn’t score, he’ll create space for the likes of Arda Güler.
He’ll score at least one long range beauty in my opinion.
The Tournament Scout Prediction:
If things fall into place, Kenan Yıldız could be one of the players of the tournament. Expect the world to be talking about him as the tournament progresses, especially if Türkiye live up to our expectations here at The Tournament Scout of winning their group even when up against the hosts.
Individual accolades:
Golden Boy Web Award: Winner (2024)
Serie A Player of the Month: August 2025
Serie A Rising Star of the Month: November 2025 and March 2026
Serie A Goal of the Season: 2024/25
Serie A Team of the Season: 2024/25
Serie A Goal of the Month: January 2025
Juventus Player of the Month: January 2025 and November 2025 (MVP)
Kopa Trophy Nominee: Shortlisted in 2025 for the world's best U21 player award
Related articles:
Read our Group D preview
See how opponents Paraguay might get on
Check out Paraguay v Australia's fixture
9 min read
Kenan Yildiz: Türkiye's star is set to shine
He's a literal "star"
Player Preview - Kenan Yıldız
Features in Group D: USA, Paraguay, Australia, Türkiye
While many of the young up-and-coming talents we’ve covered so far in the run up to the 2026 World Cup have been little-known to the world, we’re betting a few of you out there have heard the name Kenan Yıldız, a man whose name literally means "star" in Turkish. If that's not nominative determinism, we don't know what is.
The Juventus youngster is undoubtedly on the rise, but could this be the tournament where he steps into the spotlight previously occupied by compatriot Arda Güler as a global star in his own right? We think so.
Position: Attacking Mid / Left Wing / Second Striker
Age: 21
Club: Juventus
International caps: 28 senior, 8 U21s, 10 U17s
Who the heck is Kenan Yıldız
Perhaps the biggest name we’ve covered so far, Yıldız is still on the rise and this could be the tournament where he makes a name for himself in a group we expect Türkiye to potentially win under the gaze of the host nation’s fans.
What has he done so far?
Yıldız is already showing himself to be an elite player at club level, with 10 goals and 6 assists in Series A, with 7.0+ average scores across sites like FotMob. No easy feat. He’s also the youngest non-Italian to score for Juventus in Serie A, and their youngest-ever Champions League goalscorer. This tournament is coming at just the right time to push his ascendancy onto the international stage.
At international level, he chose to represent Türkiye instead of Germany, despite a German upbringing. He was a key player in Türkiye’s World Cup qualifying campaign. Romania considered him such a danger that they “marked [him] with three players”, in his own words, creating space for his team-mates. He also rattled the crossbar in that critical qualifier, which Türkiye went on to win.
What’s his style of play?
Very versatile as an attacking threat, typically playing as left sided forward who cuts inside, but equally a dangerous central number 10 who can play off both feet. He’s got an incredible instinct for finding pockets of space and moving between the lines and is generally a mobile menace with incredible technical ability. He can play as a second striker too, so is really the all-round creative nightmare defenders absolutely hate to wake up to having to face.
World Cup thunderbastard fans will be happy to hear he has a great long-range shot on him, too, so alongside the creativity of Arda Güler, we could be in for a real spectacle from Türkiye, which is why I’ve tipped them as one of the potential top sides at the tournament.
What do we think he’ll do at the tournament?
We expect him to be a potential star of the tournament. Perhaps the best player we’ll cover in these previews, he can do great things at the 2026 World Cup. We think he’ll start on the left and cut in repeatedly as a inverted winger and will shake Australia to its core with his dynamic movement.
Vs Paraguay we think he’s perfect for Türkiye to unlock what we expect to be a very low block. Expect him to find pockets of space where none should exist, and score or assist others, disrupting Paraguay’s shape throughout.
The fact that he can draw multiple defenders out of position makes him an extremely difficult opponent, and even if he doesn’t score, he’ll create space for the likes of Arda Güler.
He’ll score at least one long range beauty in my opinion.
The Tournament Scout Prediction:
If things fall into place, Kenan Yıldız could be one of the players of the tournament. Expect the world to be talking about him as the tournament progresses, especially if Türkiye live up to our expectations here at The Tournament Scout of winning their group even when up against the hosts.
Individual accolades:
Golden Boy Web Award: Winner (2024)
Serie A Player of the Month: August 2025
Serie A Rising Star of the Month: November 2025 and March 2026
Serie A Goal of the Season: 2024/25
Serie A Team of the Season: 2024/25
Serie A Goal of the Month: January 2025
Juventus Player of the Month: January 2025 and November 2025 (MVP)
Kopa Trophy Nominee: Shortlisted in 2025 for the world's best U21 player award
Related articles:
Read our Group D preview
See how opponents Paraguay might get on
Check out Paraguay v Australia's fixture
9 min read