Real Madrid Vs Juventus, Inauguration of Türkiye's New Sultan

MIAMI, MONDAY — In the early 2000s, Turkey had football icons such as Hakan Sukur, Emre Belozoglu, and Arda Turan. For more than two decades, the country spanning two continents has lost its "sultan" on the green field. Now, they have not just one, but two potential sultans who will become the new faces of Turkey on the pitch, Arda Guler and Kenan Yildiz.

Both were born in the same year, 2005. Guler is only 70 days older than Yildiz. Interestingly, they have both won 21 caps for the Turkish national team since being called up in mid-2022-2023. Euro 2024 has been a major tournament that they have played together.

In Turkey, Guler is more famous than Yilidz. This is evidenced by their social media following on Instagram. Guler has 14.5 million followers, while Yildiz has only 2.8 million accounts following him. It is quite natural for the Turkish public to be more familiar with Guler. Born and raised in the capital of Turkey, Ankara, Guler has garnered attention due to his impressive performances with the main team of the Turkish giant, Fenerbahce.

Guler's career journey is similar to the three Turkish legends mentioned above. He carries the dreams of young working-class Turks to break into one of the best clubs in the world, Real Madrid.

Yildiz, on the other hand, has a contrasting story. He represents the struggle of Turkish immigrant children in Germany.

Born in Regensburg, Bavaria, Germany, Yildiz began to gain attention when he appeared with the Bayern Munich academy team. Before he had the chance to represent the first team of his birthplace, Yildiz made a significant decision by accepting an offer from Juventus.

Yildiz's decision went smoothly. Juve handed over the iconic number 10 to him starting from the 2024-2025 season after the number was tarnished by Paul Pogba's doping case.

Today, these two young Turkish stars are the commercial faces of their respective clubs, as well as the Turkish national team.

Amid the comparison of quality that they have experienced, the Round of 16 duel in the Club World Cup between Real and Juventus, on Wednesday (2/7/2025) at 02:00 WIB, at Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, Florida, could serve as a proving ground for both. This will be the first match where Guler and Yildiz will compete to defend the honor of their respective clubs.

After only playing a cameo role in Carlo Ancelotti's first two seasons, Guler has been handed more responsibility alongside Xabi Alonso. Guler's ball control and creativity have been crucial to Alonso's dominant possession scheme.

He has played from the first minute in the last two matches of Real in Group H against Pachuca and RB Salzburg. A goal has also been scored by the player wearing the number 15 jersey.

One key assist, 84 percent passing accuracy in the final third of the opponent's defense, and 100 percent accuracy in long passes demonstrate Guler's serious quality. He also made three ball recoveries per game. In the decisive match against Salzburg, for instance, Guler recorded nine duels won with a 100 percent success rate.

"Arda (Guler) is a player who can look special when he gets the ball more often. The more he has the ball, the better his game and the better the team's game," Alonso said of Guler's role in his scheme as reported by Marca.

Guler also feels more relied upon alongside Alonso. The communication and playing approach of Real under Alonso's management help Guler to have a greater influence on the team.

"I feel good with him (Alonso) because he likes to control the tempo, wants more short passes, and sees me as a midfielder," said Guler, who is eager to help Real achieve the title of the Club World Cup.

Regarding the match against Juve, Alonso reminded his players not to be fixated on Juve's defeat against City. "They are still a team with a great history. The match will be difficult," said Alonso.

Meanwhile, Yildiz is the player who has consistently contributed goals for Juve in three matches in the United States. In those three games, Yildiz scored three goals against Wydad Casablanca and Al Ain, and provided one assist against Manchester City.

The three goals scored by Yildiz demonstrate his goal-scoring instinct. Two were created through powerful shots from outside the penalty area, while the third goal was delivered from within the 16-meter box.

Three successful dribbles and five key passes serve as Yildiz's assets in playing the number 10 role at Juve. Not only is he capable of scoring goals, but he is also skilled at creating opportunities for his teammates.

Yildiz also mentioned Guler, his friend, as one of the young stars who is his rival in the Club World Cup. "There are many great players, especially Arda Guler, at Real Madrid. He has fantastic talent and has a bright future, but I don't want to say who is better between us," Yildiz told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

Furthermore, Yildiz is undaunted in facing Real. He is pleased to meet with his good friends, such as Guler and Real's new defender, Dean Huijsen.

"Real Madrid may be the best team in the world right now, but it does not matter who the opponent is for us. Our focus is to defeat Real," he added.

Yildiz's idol, Alessandro Del Piero, believes that Coach Igor Tudor has made a significant impact despite the heavy 2-5 defeat to Manchester City in the final group stage match.

"Their performance was good, advancing from the qualifying round is very important. I see a new energy on the field and the players are showcasing something extraordinary. As a fan, I wish the best for my team (Juve)," said Del Piero as reported by the FIFA website.