Türkiye's women stand on the brink of a defining moment in their rise through European football. Riding high after a 4-0 demolition of Kosovo in the first leg, the national team returns home to İzmir tonight aiming to cement their UEFA Women's Nations League B status - and keep their 2027 FIFA Women's World Cup dream alive.
Head coach Necla Güngör-Kıraç's squad has found the perfect balance between grit and grace.
Her disciplined yet attack-minded side will take the pitch at Gürsel Aksel Stadium with a four-goal cushion and the backing of a passionate Aegean crowd.
Türkiye's performance in Pristina was pure dominance.
Kader Hançar struck twice inside the opening 10 minutes to set the tone, Melike Pekel added a precise finish before the break, and Ece Türkoğlu capped the rout midway through the second half.
Kosovo, toothless in attack and undone by defensive lapses, failed to muster a single shot on target.
The result extended Türkiye's unbeaten run to three games, including a clean-sheet win over Georgia, and marked their first-ever competitive victory over Kosovo - a psychological shift that underscores their evolution into a team that now expects to win, not just compete.
Melike Pekel, the Fenerbahçe forward and captain, leads by example - her three goals in the last four internationals testify to her clinical edge.
Hançar, the playmaker from ALG Spor, dictates tempo and delivers a lethal long-range threat, while Türkoğlu, a 22-year-old dynamo from Fenerbahçe, injects speed and flair from midfield.
Defensively, Bayern Munich's Ceren Özge Kayalı anchors a backline that has conceded just once in five matches, shielded by goalkeeper Selda Akgöz, a model of consistency.
For Kosovo, the assignment borders on impossible.
Down four goals, they'll pin slim hopes on midfielder Donjeta Halilaj's set-piece craft and forward Valentina Limani's finishing touch.
Head coach Arsim Abazi knows his side must play flawlessly to even threaten a comeback.
Tonight's tie isn't just about pride - it determines who stays in League B for the 2025-26 UEFA Women's Nations League.
The winner continues toward the 2027 World Cup qualifying path, while the loser drops to League C and faces a far steeper climb.
Should Türkiye advance, they'll join the League B group draw on Nov. 4 in Nyon, setting up a February-June 2026 campaign that could finally open the door to their first-ever World Cup.
With UEFA expanding its slots to 10, the timing has never been better.