Celebrated World Cup joy in tears: 'I wasn't this happy on my wedding day'
In Hatay, Ali İflazoğlu, who celebrated the A National Football Team's qualification for the 2026 World Cup alone in the city square with tears of joy, said, "This is one of our happiest days; I wasn't even this happy on the day I got married."
İHA
The A National Football Team qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup by defeating Kosovo 1-0.
Wanting to celebrate the historic success of the A National Football Team in the Antakya district of Hatay, Ali İflazoğlu traveled 25 kilometers to reach the city center before anyone else.
İflazoğlu, who shed tears of joy while singing anthems alone for a long time, was joined after a while by a group of 15 citizens.
"My father asked, 'Son, are you out of your mind?' as I was leaving"
Despite his father asking, "Son, are you out of your mind?", Ali İflazoğlu traveled 25 kilometers to the city square to celebrate, saying, "We have been waiting for this day for 24 years; no matter how much we thank those who gave us this pride, it is not enough.
As earthquake survivors in Hatay, we especially need such happiness very much after the earthquake. May God be pleased with everyone who contributed. We are Turks, and no matter where we are in the world, even if only one of us remains, we will establish a state.
The end of this road is the championship; we believed, you believe too. Always and everywhere, the greatest is Turkey. When I first arrived, there was only me and you, the members of the press.
The press always does the best job. I came from 25 kilometers away and I was the first to arrive. My father asked, 'Son, are you out of your mind?' as I was leaving.
If I am not going to be happy today, when will I be? This is one of our happiest days; I wasn't even this happy on the day I got married," he said.