(MENAFN) Türkiye delivered a commanding 6-1 victory over Bulgaria on Saturday during their third Group E fixture in the 2026 World Cup European Qualifiers, played in Sofia.

The Turkish side’s goals came from multiple contributors: Arda Guler opened the scoring in the 11th minute, followed by an own goal from Bulgaria’s Viktor Popov in the 49th minute. Kenan Yildiz then netted twice in quick succession at the 51st and 56th minutes. Zeki Celik added the fifth in the 65th minute, while Irfan Can Kahveci sealed the emphatic win deep into stoppage time at 90+3.

Bulgaria’s sole goal was scored by Radoslav Kirilov in the 13th minute.

Key moments included a pivotal sequence in the 49th minute when Hakan Calhanoglu delivered a long ball behind the Bulgarian defense. Popov, attempting to keep pace with Kenan, inadvertently redirected the ball into his own net, making the score 1-2.

Two minutes later, Kenan skillfully controlled a pass from Arda inside the penalty area and fired a shot past the goalkeeper.

The fourth goal came at 56 minutes when Hakan found Kenan on the left flank, who outmaneuvered his marker, drove into the box, and placed a precise finish into the corner to extend Türkiye’s lead to 1-4.

In the 65th minute, Arda’s corner kick from the right was met by Zeki at the near post, who headed the ball firmly into the net.

The scoring was finalized in stoppage time when Oguz Aydın penetrated the penalty area and laid the ball off to Irfan, who slid in to convert the finish.

This dominant performance positions Türkiye strongly in the race for a 2026 World Cup berth.

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