Socceroo Aziz Behich Faces His Second Home at World Cup

When Aziz Behich steps onto the field in Vancouver on June 14, he'll be playing against a country that feels like home.

The Melbourne-born Socceroo will face Turkey in Australia's World Cup opener, and the match carries deep personal meaning. Behich spent nine seasons playing in Turkey's Süper Lig, mostly with the club Bursaspor, living a life between two nations he loves.

"I spent more than half my career in Turkey," Behich told SBS Turkish. "Turkey holds a very special place in my life."

The son of Turkish Cypriots, Behich grew up waking before dawn to watch Turkish football with his father, Yasar. His dad was a devoted Galatasaray supporter until Aziz joined Bursaspor, then loyalty shifted to follow his son.

Yasar Behich remembers why he introduced his son to the sport. "My initial concern was that he shouldn't pick up bad habits; children who play sports don't pick up bad habits," he said.

Now both father and son face the sweet tension of split allegiances. Yasar admits he has "mixed feelings" about Sunday's match and hopes both teams advance from the group stage.

The Ripple Effect

Behich's story mirrors the experience of thousands of Australian families navigating beautiful contradictions of identity. Mehmet Turgut has called Melbourne home since 1970 but hopes Turkey wins because "it's different in our hearts, in our souls."

Tansel Baser, who also played football in Turkey after growing up in Melbourne, hopes "friendship wins out" and both teams advance together. Yücel Sönmez captures the community feeling perfectly: "Aziz is one of our own. He plays for Australia. We want him to succeed too. But our hearts are with Turkey."

Behich approaches the match with professional focus. "At the end of the day, it's a football match. It's all about three points," he said.

His father will watch from the stands with family, supporting the player more than picking a side.

In a world that often demands we choose one identity over another, this World Cup match celebrates something better: the possibility of loving two homes at once.