Süper Lig facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Süper Lig

Organising body	Turkish Football Federation (TFF)
Founded	21 February 1959; 66 years ago (1959-02-21)
Country	Turkey
Confederation	UEFA (Europe)
Number of teams	19 (since 2024–25)
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	TFF First League
Domestic cup(s)	Turkish Cup Turkish Super Cup
International cup(s)	UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League UEFA Conference League
Current champions	Galatasaray (24th title) (2023–24)
Most championships	Galatasaray (24 titles)
Most appearances	Umut Bulut (515)
Top goalscorer	Hakan Şükür (249)
TV partners	List of broadcasters
Website	tff.org

The Süper Lig is the top professional football league in Turkey. It's also known as Trendyol Süper Lig because of its sponsor. The Turkish Football Federation runs this exciting league.

In the 2023-2024 season, twenty clubs competed to become champions. At the end of the season, a winner is crowned. Also, three teams from a lower league get to join the Süper Lig. Four teams from the Süper Lig move down to the 1. Lig.

The season usually runs from August to May. Each club plays 38 matches in total. Games are played from Friday to Monday. The Süper Lig is one of the top football leagues in Europe. It is currently ranked 9th by UEFA. This ranking is based on how well Turkish clubs do in European competitions.

So far, 75 different clubs have played in the Süper Lig. However, only six clubs have ever won the championship title. These champion teams are Galatasaray (24 wins), Fenerbahçe (19 wins), Beşiktaş (16 wins), Trabzonspor (7 wins), Başakşehir (1 win), and Bursaspor (1 win).

History of Turkish Football

Football first came to Turkey in the late 1800s. English people living in Salonica (which was part of the Ottoman Empire back then) brought the game with them. The very first league competition was the Istanbul Football League. This started in the 1904–05 season.

Over the years, many different regional leagues were created. These included leagues in Adana, Ankara, İzmir, and Trabzon. The first competition to find a national champion was the Turkish Football Championship. This started in 1924 and lasted until 1951. It was a knockout competition. Winners from different regional leagues played against each other.

The National Division was the first national league in Turkey. It began in 1937. This league included the strongest clubs from Ankara, Istanbul, and İzmir. It continued until 1950.

A match between Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray in the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium. This is known as the Intercontinental Derby.

In 1956, the Federation Cup was created. The winner of this cup would get to play in the European Cup. Beşiktaş won this cup twice. However, they couldn't play in the European Cup in 1957–58. This was because the Turkish Football Federation didn't register them in time.

The Süper Lig, originally called Millî Lig, officially started in 1959. The first season was played in the year 1959. Sixteen clubs from Ankara, Istanbul, and İzmir competed. The first champions were Fenerbahçe. The first top scorer was Metin Oktay. No teams were moved up or down after this first season.

In 1963–64, a second league was created. The Millî Lig then became known as the 1.Lig (First League). Later, in 2001, a new second division was formed, also called the 1. Lig. So, the original 1.Lig was renamed to Süper Lig.

The Süper Lig is home to the famous Fenerbahçe–Galatasaray derby. This is the most watched football game in Turkey. Many people consider it one of the most exciting rivalries in the world.

In December 2023, all league games were stopped for a short time. This happened after an incident during a match. A referee was attacked by people who came onto the field. The games started again a few days later.

How the League Works

The Süper Lig championship trophy, used since 2015.

The Süper Lig usually has 18 to 20 clubs. Since 2020, there have been 20 clubs. During the season, each club plays every other club twice. One game is at their home stadium, and the other is at their opponent's stadium. This means each team plays a total of 38 games.

Teams get three points for winning a game. They get one point for a draw (a tie). If a team loses, they get no points. Teams are ranked by their total points. If two teams have the same points, their head-to-head record is checked first. Then, the difference between goals scored and goals allowed is used. Finally, the total goals scored is used.

At the end of the season, the team with the most points wins the championship. The three teams with the lowest points are moved down to the 1. Lig. In their place, the top two teams from the 1. Lig are promoted. Also, one more team from the 1. Lig gets promoted after special play-off games.

The number of clubs in the Süper Lig has changed over the years:

• 16 clubs: 1959, 1964–1966, 1968–1981, 1990–1994
• 17 clubs: 1966–1968, 1981–1982
• 18 clubs: 1963–1964, 1982–1985, 1989–1990, 1994–2020
• 19 clubs: 1985–1987, 1988–1989, 2022–2023, 2024–present
• 20 clubs: 1959–1962, 1987–1988, 2021–2022, 2023–2024
• 21 clubs: 2020–2021
• 22 clubs: 1962–1963

Playing in European Competitions

The champion and the second-place team in the Süper Lig get to play in the UEFA Champions League. This is Europe's biggest club competition. The team that finishes third, and the winner of the Turkish Cup, qualify for the UEFA Europa Conference League. If the Turkish Cup winner has already qualified for Europe through their league position, then the fourth-place team in the league gets their spot.

Media Coverage

On March 2, 2024, the Turkish Football Federation announced that BeIN, a media group from Qatar, will continue to broadcast Süper Lig matches. They have renewed their agreement for three more years, until 2027. BeIN will pay a lot of money each year to show the games. This makes the Süper Lig one of the most valuable football leagues in Europe.

UEFA Ranking

The Süper Lig is currently ranked 9th in the UEFA Country Rankings as of April 2024. This ranking shows how well clubs from a country perform in European competitions. The league became very strong in the early 1990s. In 2001, it reached its best ranking ever, at 7th place. Its lowest ranking was 28th place in 1982.

Clubs

Here are the clubs that play in the Süper Lig and where their stadiums are located.

Süper Lig Champions

Only six clubs have won the Süper Lig title since it began. Galatasaray has won the most times, with 24 championships. Fenerbahçe is next with 19 wins. Beşiktaş has 16 titles. Trabzonspor has won 7 times. Bursaspor and Başakşehir have each won the title once.

The two championships won by Beşiktaş in the Turkish Federation Cup (1956–57 and 1957–58) are also counted as national league championships. This was decided because the Federation Cup was created to find a national champion to play in the European Cup.

Teams in bold are currently playing in the Süper Lig as of the 2023–24 season.

Club	Champ­ions	Runners-up	Winning seasons	Runners-up seasons
Galatasaray	24	13	1961–62, 1962–63, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2001–02, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2022–23, 2023–24	1956–571, 1957–581, 1959, 1960–61, 1965–66, 1974–75, 1978–79, 1985–86, 1990–91, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2013–14, 2020–21
Fenerbahçe	19	25	1959, 1960–61, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1967–68, 1969–70, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1977–78, 1982–83, 1984–85, 1988–89, 1995–96, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2010–11, 2013–14	1959–60, 1961–62, 1966–67, 1970–71, 1972–73, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1979–80, 1983–84, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1993–94, 1997–98, 2001–02, 2005–06, 2007–08, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24
Beşiktaş	16	14	1956–571, 1957–581, 1959–60, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1981–82, 1985–86, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 1994–95, 2002–03, 2008–09, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2020–21	1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1967–68, 1973–74, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1992–93, 1996–97, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2006–07
Trabzonspor	7	9	1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1983–84, 2021–22	1977–78, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1994–95, 1995–96, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2010–11, 2019–20
Başakşehir	1	2	2019–20	2016–17, 2018–19
Bursaspor	1	—	2009–10

Golden Stars

In football, many leagues use golden stars on team badges. These stars show how many championships a team has won. In Turkey, clubs get to add a golden star above their team crest for every five national championships they win.

As of the 2023–24 season:

• Galatasaray has four golden stars.
• Fenerbahçe has three golden stars.
• Beşiktaş has three golden stars.
• Trabzonspor has one golden star.

League Participation

As of 2024, 75 different clubs have played in the Süper Lig. The clubs that have played the most seasons are Galatasaray, Beşiktaş, and Fenerbahçe, each with 66 seasons. Other clubs with many seasons include Ankaragücü (54 seasons) and Bursaspor and Trabzonspor (50 seasons each).

Player Records

Most Goals Scored

Here are the players who have scored the most goals in the Süper Lig.

As of 15 May 2021

Most Appearances

These players have played in the most Süper Lig matches.

As of 15 May 2021

• Players in bold are still playing in the league.
• All players listed are Turkish unless noted otherwise.

Sponsorship

The Süper Lig has had different sponsors over the years, which changes its official name.

Official Match Ball

The Süper Lig uses different footballs each season. Here are the brands and models used:

• 2008–2010: Nike T90 Omni
• 2010–2011: Nike T90 Tracer
• 2011–2012: Nike Seitiro
• 2012–2013: Nike Maxim
• 2013–2014: Nike Incyte
• 2014–2015: Nike Ordem 2
• 2015–2016: Nike Ordem 3
• 2016–2017: Nike Ordem 4
• 2017–2018: Nike Ordem 5
• 2018–2020: Nike Merlin
• 2020–2021: Adidas Uniforia
• 2021–2022: Adidas Conext 21 Pro
• 2022–present: Puma Orbita

See also

In Spanish: Superliga de Turquía para niños

• Turkish Football Championship
• Turkish National Division
• List of foreign Süper Lig players
• List of Süper Lig top scorers
• List of Turkish football champions
• Süper Lig all-time table
• List of domestic football league broadcast deals by country