Arda Güler’s freekick stuns crowd, but Turkey lose 1-2 to Belgium
Belgium rallied in the first half to win 2-1 in the fifth round of Nations League A; all goals came before halftime.
Belgium came from behind to beat Turkey 2-1 in the fifth round of the Nations League A on November 12, 2026, with all three goals scored in the first half.
Turkey opened the scoring in the 20th minute when young Real Madrid star Arda Güler curled a spectacular free kick into the net, sending the home crowd into celebration.
Belgium responded quickly. Kevin De Bruyne levelled in the 27th minute after a pass from Jeremy Doku, and three minutes later Charles De Ketelaere completed the turnaround by finishing a move set up by Maxim De Cuyper to make it 2-1.
Turkey pushed for an equaliser in the second half but could not break down the Belgian defence, and Belgium preserved the lead to claim three points. The hosts left the match without points on home soil, while Belgium took an important step toward improving their position in the group.
Other Nations League result
In the C segment of the Nations League, Armenia and Cyprus drew 1-1 in their fifth-round match. Cyprus took the lead in the ninth minute through Jasonas Pikis, assisted by Ioannis Pitas, but Armenia levelled in the 58th minute when Artur Garibyan converted a pass from Artur Serobyan.
The freekick goal by Güler attracted attention on social media; one user wrote: "Arda Güler’s freekick vs Belgium is absolutely INSANE 🚨🤯" — MatchGoal Central (@MatchGoaal).
Photo: press material from the event
