Captain Çağlar Söyüncü sparks controversy ahead of Türkiye’s World Cup opener

The 2026 World Cup hasn’t even kicked off for Türkiye yet, and the team is already dealing with a self-inflicted crisis. A video circulating since June 13 appears to show center-back Çağlar Söyüncü smoking on a hotel balcony in Vancouver, where the squad is based ahead of its opening match against Australia.

Two other unidentified squad members are also reportedly visible in the footage. The clip has torn through Turkish social media, and the reaction from fans has been roughly as forgiving as you’d expect: not at all.

What the video shows and why it matters

The footage, which surfaced just days before Türkiye’s World Cup opener, reportedly captures Söyüncü and two teammates on what appears to be a hotel balcony. The 30-year-old Fenerbahçe defender, who has earned 60 international caps, was widely expected to be in the starting lineup under head coach Vincenzo Montella.

Turkish fans have been vocal in calling for disciplinary action. The backlash on social media has ranged from disappointment to outright fury, with many supporters questioning whether players caught in the video should be available for selection at all. The Turkish Football Federation has not publicly commented on what, if any, internal response is being considered.

Söyüncü’s role in the squad

Söyüncü is a senior figure in this squad. He has previously captained the national side in select matches, though the official captain’s armband belongs to Inter Milan’s Hakan Çalhanoğlu.

His 60 caps make him one of the more experienced defenders in the group. At 30, he’s at the stage of his career where leadership and professionalism are supposed to be defining traits. Montella included him in the 26-man World Cup squad announced on June 2, and the expectation was that Söyüncü would anchor the back line.

Türkiye’s squad includes Arda Güler, the Real Madrid midfielder, and captain Çalhanoğlu. The identity of the two other players in the video remains unconfirmed publicly.

What this means for Türkiye’s World Cup campaign

Montella now faces a decision that has nothing to do with football ability. Does he start Söyüncü against Australia as planned, or does he drop him, disrupting his preferred defensive setup ahead of the opener?

The Turkish Football Federation’s silence so far may be strategic, but it won’t be sustainable if the controversy continues to dominate the pre-match narrative heading into the Australia game.

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