Arda Güler‘s Türkiye burden is becoming increasingly difficult to ignore as the Real Madrid midfielder continues to deliver impressive performances without receiving sufficient support from his international teammates.
The 21-year-old has enjoyed an outstanding start to the 2026-27 season, building on the progress he made during his previous campaign. While his performances have established him among Real Madrid’s most influential players, his experience with Türkiye has exposed a different challenge.
At club level, Güler has developed into one of Madrid’s leading performers, using his creativity, vision and attacking ability to influence matches. For his country, however, he appears to be operating at a level his teammates have struggled to match.
Türkiye have several talented footballers, but their collective performances have not consistently reflected the quality within the squad. Too much responsibility rests on Güler, who is regularly expected to create chances, score goals and provide the inspiration needed to secure victories.
Thursday’s 2-1 defeat against Belgium offered another example of that imbalance. Güler produced a determined performance, but the contributions around him were insufficient to prevent another disappointing result.
Belgium defeat highlights Türkiye’s reliance on Güler
The defeat against Belgium exposed Türkiye’s growing dependence on the Real Madrid midfielder to provide attacking inspiration.
Güler was central to much of his country’s attacking play, repeatedly attempting to unlock the Belgian defence and create opportunities for his teammates. However, several promising situations failed to produce the goals Türkiye needed.
He eventually made his mark with a superb free kick, demonstrating the technical quality and confidence that have made him one of Europe’s exciting young midfielders.
The strike was reminiscent of Lionel Messi’s memorable free kick against Liverpool several years ago. It was a moment of individual brilliance, but it could not change the outcome of a match in which Türkiye struggled to turn their opportunities into a positive result.
The lack of support around Güler was particularly noticeable because his creative efforts were not matched by enough decisive contributions from other Turkish players.
Belgium midfielder Kevin De Bruyne acknowledged the youngster’s exceptional ability after the encounter and suggested that Türkiye’s other footballers needed to accept more responsibility.
“Arda Güler is amazing. I think his Türkiye teammates should take more responsibility because all the responsibility is on him right now. They should help him. We base our plan on Arda,” De Bruyne said.
Coming from an experienced international midfielder, the assessment highlights how visible Türkiye’s dependence on Güler has become. Even an opponent recognises that the young playmaker is carrying an unusually large share of his country’s attacking responsibility.
At just 21, Güler should be developing his international career without being expected to provide solutions to almost every problem facing the national team.
Türkiye’s wider problems remain unresolved
The difficulties facing Türkiye cannot simply be attributed to a shortage of individual quality. Their squad contains players capable of making important contributions, but the team has struggled to translate that potential into consistent performances.
According to the source report, Türkiye have lost all five matches in their group since the World Cup. That run raises questions about their organisation, attacking effectiveness and ability to compete collectively.
Güler’s individual performances have offered some encouragement, but one player’s creativity cannot consistently compensate for shortcomings across an entire team.
His ability to produce passes, create opportunities and deliver dangerous set pieces makes him an important attacking weapon. Nevertheless, opponents can increasingly concentrate their defensive attention on limiting his influence when alternative threats are not sufficiently effective.
De Bruyne’s admission that Belgium based their plan around Güler illustrates the tactical challenge Türkiye must address. When an opponent can identify one player as the primary source of danger, the national team needs other players capable of exploiting the space and opportunities created by that attention.
The responsibility should not rest exclusively on Güler. Other midfielders and attacking players must contribute more consistently, while the team’s overall structure should allow different players to influence matches.
Güler’s experience recalls Ronaldo’s difficulties with Portugal
The situation has drawn comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo’s experiences during periods when Portugal struggled to achieve consistent international success.
Ronaldo was frequently the central figure in Portugal’s attacking plans, particularly when the team failed to turn its individual talent into convincing collective performances.
His extraordinary ability often made him the principal source of goals and inspiration. However, even his outstanding performances could not always compensate for a lack of sufficient contributions from teammates.
Portugal needed other players to share the responsibility of creating chances, scoring goals and deciding important matches. Depending excessively on Ronaldo sometimes left the team vulnerable when opponents succeeded in restricting his influence.
There are similarities between that experience and what Güler is currently facing with Türkiye. Both players have been expected to provide much of their country’s attacking inspiration, even when the contributions around them have been inconsistent.
However, their circumstances are not identical. Ronaldo had already established himself among the world’s leading footballers during much of his international career, while Güler is still developing his game and building his reputation.
The difference in experience makes Türkiye’s situation particularly important. At 21, Güler needs an environment that supports his development rather than placing the responsibility for the team’s fortunes almost entirely on his shoulders.
The comparison also reinforces an important lesson: exceptional individual ability cannot permanently replace collective performance.
Portugal eventually found success with Ronaldo
Despite the difficulties Portugal experienced during parts of Ronaldo’s international career, the country eventually enjoyed considerable success.
Portugal won the European Championship in 2016, with Ronaldo providing leadership and playing an important role throughout the tournament. The country also went on to win the Nations League twice, adding further honours to his international career.
Those achievements demonstrated the importance of building a team capable of supporting its most influential players. Ronaldo’s quality was crucial, but Portugal also needed contributions from other members of the squad to compete successfully.
His international journey provides a useful lesson for Türkiye. A national team cannot depend indefinitely on one outstanding footballer, regardless of how talented or influential that individual may be.
Even Ronaldo needed teammates who could take responsibility, create opportunities and deliver important performances, particularly in major competitions.
The comparison is not simply about the pressure placed on two gifted players. It also concerns the relationship between individual brilliance and collective responsibility. A team can possess a world-class talent and still struggle if the rest of the squad does not perform effectively.
That is the challenge Türkiye must confront if they want to make the most of Güler’s growing influence.
Türkiye must share the responsibility
The immediate priority for Türkiye should be creating a stronger collective attacking approach that allows Güler to influence matches without having to carry the entire team.
His passing range, vision, set-piece ability and willingness to take responsibility have already demonstrated his value. Those qualities should make the players around him more effective, rather than leave them dependent on him for every important attacking contribution.
Other members of the squad must become more decisive in front of goal and take greater initiative when opportunities arise. The midfield also needs to provide enough support to ensure that Güler is not isolated as the team’s principal creative outlet.
De Bruyne’s comments should serve as a warning that Türkiye’s reliance on the youngster is becoming increasingly obvious to their opponents.
For a footballer who is still only 21, carrying such expectations could become an unnecessary obstacle to his development if the national team fails to distribute responsibilities more effectively.
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There is still an opportunity for Türkiye to build a competitive side around their emerging star. However, that requires a collective response, not simply another exceptional performance from Güler.
His progress at Real Madrid demonstrates the influence he can have when his qualities are properly integrated into a functioning team. Türkiye must find a similar balance at international level.
Until that happens, Güler may continue to experience the frustration Ronaldo encountered during difficult periods with Portugal: producing outstanding individual performances without receiving enough support to turn them into consistent team success.
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