Turkey vs Belgium: Arda Güler's free kick stuns, but Belgium win 2-1
Arda Güler curled in a stunning free kick in Izmir, but De Bruyne and De Ketelaere turned it round in 11 minutes. What it means for Group A1.
Turkey vs Belgium was the most searched match in Pakistan overnight, and one moment explains why: Arda Güler’s free kick. The Real Madrid playmaker put Türkiye ahead in the 20th minute in Izmir on Thursday, 12 November, but Belgium hit back twice in 11 minutes and won 2-1.
It spoiled Sergen Yalçın’s first game as Türkiye coach and left the hosts on a run of five straight Nations League defeats, as Turkish broadcaster A News reported.
The Arda Güler free kick
Güler, 21, sent the free kick into the top-left corner, as beIN Sports described it. Clips of the goal spread fast on X and TikTok within minutes, and Goal.com called it “miraculous”. The match-rating site SportsDunia gave him 9 out of 10, the highest mark on either side, even in defeat.
For a player who has spent long spells on Real Madrid’s bench, it was another reminder of why Turkish fans call him their best talent in a generation.
How Belgium turned it round
The lead lasted barely ten minutes. Kevin De Bruyne levelled, and Charles De Ketelaere scored the winner in the 31st minute, according to beIN Sports’ match report. SportsDunia’s ratings singled out Jérémy Doku and De Bruyne as the players who drove the comeback.
Türkiye pushed in the second half but never found a way through, and Belgium managed the game out at the Gürsel Aksel Stadium.
Turkey vs Belgium standings: what the result means
The win lifted Belgium above Italy into second place in Group A1, beIN Sports reported, with one round left to decide who reaches the quarter-finals. For Türkiye, a fifth defeat in a row leaves them near the bottom of the group.
For Yalçın, the job now starts with a defence that let a lead slip inside 11 minutes.
Why Pakistanis were searching it
European Nations League games kick off late evening in Pakistan, and Güler’s goal was everywhere on social media before most people had seen the match. Many searches were simply for the table: Belgium are now in control of a quarter-final place, while Türkiye need a better finish to the group.
