The Turkish national team will make its debut in the top tier of the 2026–27 IFAF Men’s European Championship when it hosts the Belgian Barbarians on Saturday, October 17, at Hasan Doğan Stadyumu in Ankara. Both teams are seeking their first victory in Group A, with Turkey (0–0) entering as a newly promoted side and Belgium (0–1) looking to recover from a disastrous opening defeat.
Turkey looking to establish itself
Promotion was no accident for the Turks, who went undefeated in Level 2 during the previous championship cycle. A convincing 41–18 victory over Ireland was followed by a gritty 3–0 triumph over the Netherlands in rain-soaked Arnhem, with Kerim Sarıkatipoğlu’s fourth-quarter field goal proving decisive.
Now comes the considerably tougher assignment of establishing themselves among Europe’s elite.
“We are proud to represent our country at the highest level of national team football,” said head coach Batur Kaplan. “Our goal is to remain permanently at this level.”
Belgium seeking a response
The Belgian Barbarians know exactly how unforgiving Level 1 can be. Their campaign began with a 75–0 demolition at the hands of defending champion Austria, which overwhelmed the Belgian offense and forced repeated turnovers.
Quarterback Warren Kongolo and the passing attack showed occasional flashes, but sustained drives were virtually nonexistent against the reigning champions.
Head coach Cyrille Bouron views these difficult assignments as essential to his program’s development, emphasizing the importance of testing Belgium against Europe’s strongest competition.
Saturday offers a more realistic measuring stick for both programs. Turkey wants to prove it belongs at this level, while Belgium desperately needs to demonstrate that its opening defeat was not representative of its capabilities.