Türkiye will be in the United States' group at the World Cup after winning 1-0 at Kosovo to reach soccer's biggest stage for the first time since 2002.

The hosts were hoping to qualify for the World Cup for the first time, fewer than 10 years since the national team was out of the international soccer family.

It was in May 2016 that Kosovo and Gibraltar were voted into FIFA as its 210th and 211th member federations. That was eight years after Kosovo declared independence from Serbia.

Kosovo had the best chance of an entertaining first half but Turkey goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır pulled off a superb one-handed save to push Fisnik Asllani's strike onto the crossbar.

Türkiye got the breakthrough eight minutes into the second half. Kerem Aktürkoğlu got finest of touches to ensure Orkun Kökçü's cross-shot went into the far bottom corner.

Türkiye joins the U.S. in Group D, along with Paraguay and Australia.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.