Vincenzo Montella

Vincenzo Montella is the head coach of Türkiye at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Born in Pomigliano d'Arco on 18 June 1974, he was nicknamed "Aeroplanino" (the Little Aeroplane) for the celebration he made after every goal — and there were many. As a clinical centre-forward for Empoli, Sampdoria and especially Roma (1999–2007), he won the Serie A title in 2001 and earned 20 Italy caps.

His coaching career has spanned three countries. He stabilised Fiorentina with three consecutive fourth-place Serie A finishes and reached the Coppa Italia final in 2014, then won the Supercoppa Italiana in his first year at Milan in 2016. After spells at Sampdoria, Sevilla and a return to Fiorentina, he moved to Turkey with Adana Demirspor in 2021, finishing 5th in the Süper Lig.

On 21 September 2023 the Turkish Football Federation appointed him head coach of the national team, a day after Stefan Kuntz was sacked. He led Türkiye to the Euro 2024 quarter-finals and then through 2026 World Cup qualification, surviving a tense play-off in March. With a generation built around Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Arda Güler and Kenan Yıldız, Türkiye are in Group D with the United States, Australia and Paraguay — looking to match the team's third-place finish from 2002.