Match Overview

The 7th round match of the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying tournament between the national teams of Bulgaria and Turkey is scheduled for October 11 at the “Vasil Levski” stadium in Sofia. Here’s our comprehensive prediction and betting insight, including odds and statistics, for the Bulgaria vs Turkey encounter.

Bulgaria Team Analysis

Current Form and Recent Struggles

The Bulgarian national team continues to navigate through challenging periods. The squad has long struggled to qualify for major international tournaments, and their current World Cup qualification campaign commenced with significant defeats against Spain and Georgia, both resulting in a 0:3 scoreline. The Bulgarians have failed to find the net in three consecutive World Cup qualifiers, with the initial match in this sequence also ending in a heavy loss. It’s noteworthy that the team recently underwent a coaching change two weeks prior, with Aleksandar Dimitrov, previously managing Bulgaria’s youth national team, taking over from Ilian Iliev. 

Key Bulgarian Statistics

• The team has conceded goals in their last five World Cup qualifying fixtures.
• Bulgaria maintains an uncompromising home record of 12 matches in this tournament (7 wins, 5 losses).
• The national team has successfully covered a (+1.5) handicap in 19 of their last 22 home World Cup qualifiers.

Bulgaria’s Predicted Lineup (5-4-1)

Svetoslav Vutsov – Ivan Turitsov, Rosen Bozhinov, Kristian Dimitrov, Petko Hristov, Viktor Popov – Marin Petkov, Kiril Despodov, Adrian Kraev, Radoslav Kirilov – Vladimir Nikolov. 

Team News for Bulgaria

Defender Emil Tsenov is set to miss the match due to an injury.

Turkey Team Analysis

Recent Performance and Motivation

Turkey’s opening match in the World Cup qualifiers proved quite successful, as they secured a crucial victory over Georgia, notably on foreign soil. However, the Turkish team subsequently faltered against Spain, suffering a devastating 0:6 defeat. This marked the national team’s heaviest home loss in 41 years. Following this result, Vincenzo Montella’s side slipped to 3rd place in their group. After such a performance, the team is under immense pressure to redeem itself in front of its supporters, and it’s also vital to improve their goal difference – which demands a victory with a substantial margin. 

Key Turkish Statistics

• Both teams have scored in 6 of Turkey’s last 8 World Cup qualifying matches.
• The national team’s uncompromising streak in this tournament extends to 6 games (4 wins, 2 losses).
• Turkey has managed to score at least one goal in 13 of their last 14 World Cup qualifying encounters.

Turkey’s Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1)

Uğurcan Çakır – Mert Müldür, Abdülkerim Bardakcı, Merih Demiral, Eren Elmalı – İsmail Yüksek, Hakan Çalhanoğlu – Yunus Akgün, Arda Güler, Kenan Yıldız – Kerem Aktürkoğlu. 

Team News for Turkey

Forward Barış Yılmaz continues to serve his suspension.

Match Official Profile

Luís Godinho (Portugal) 

Referee’s Key Stats

Matches officiated – 13 (International fixtures, 2024/25–2025/26);Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 46;Average yellow cards per match – 3.5;Red cards shown – 0;Average fouls per match – 27;Penalties awarded – 15%.

Bulgaria vs Turkey Match Prediction

Bulgaria’s Vulnerabilities

In the initial rounds of qualification, the Bulgarians endured two heavy defeats with an identical 0:3 scoreline. Overall, the national team has lost 4 of their last 5 World Cup qualifiers. Moreover, all these 5 matches were high-scoring, although in their last 3 games, the team failed to score a single goal. Even when focusing strictly on home matches, Bulgaria has lost 4 of their last 6 World Cup qualifiers, only managing to secure points against Northern Ireland and Lithuania. 

Turkey’s Offensive Strength

Matches featuring Turkey almost invariably deliver an exciting spectacle. Within the current qualifying cycle alone, we’ve already witnessed 11 goals in just 2 matches, and generally, the 3-goal mark has been exceeded in 14 of the team’s last 15 tournament encounters. While the national team occasionally exhibits defensive vulnerabilities, these errors are frequently offset by their potent attacking prowess. This pattern is even more pronounced away from home, with Turkey having won 5 of their last 7 away World Cup qualifiers, and at least 3 goals being scored in each of those 7 games. 

Final Betting Tip

**Prediction – “Turkey Win and Over 2.5 Goals”** with odds of 1.80