Istanbul: Trkiye moved to the brink of ending their long World Cup absence on Thursday as Ferdi Kadioglu struck in the second half to seal a 1-0 playoff win over Romania, following a moment of brilliance from Arda Gler, APA reports.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, in a high-stakes encounter at Besiktas Park, the deadlock was broken in the 53rd minute when Real Madrid midfielder Gler produced a superb defense-splitting pass to pick out Kadioglu, who controlled and finished calmly to give the hosts the lead.

The win sends Trkiye into the playoff final on March 31, where they will face Kosovo for a place at the 2026 World Cup after Kosovo beat Slovakia 4-3.