Turkey national football team facts for kids
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Nickname(s) | Ay-Yıldızlılar (The Crescent-Stars) Bizim Çocuklar (Our Boys) |
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Association | Turkish Football Federation (TFF) | |||||||||||||||||||
Confederation | UEFA (Europe) | |||||||||||||||||||
Head coach | Vincenzo Montella | |||||||||||||||||||
Captain | Hakan Çalhanoğlu | |||||||||||||||||||
Most caps | Rüştü Reçber (120) | |||||||||||||||||||
Top scorer | Hakan Şükür (51) | |||||||||||||||||||
Home stadium | Various | |||||||||||||||||||
FIFA code | TUR | |||||||||||||||||||
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FIFA ranking | ||||||||||||||||||||
Current | 41 ![]() |
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Highest | 5 (June 2004) | |||||||||||||||||||
Lowest | 67 (October 1993) | |||||||||||||||||||
Elo ranking | ||||||||||||||||||||
Current | 44 ![]() |
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Highest | 10 (16 October 2020, November 2002) | |||||||||||||||||||
Lowest | 72 (13 November 1985, 29 October 1986) | |||||||||||||||||||
First international | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() ![]() (Istanbul, Turkey; 26 October 1923) |
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Biggest win | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() ![]() (Ankara, Turkey; 20 November 1949) ![]() ![]() (Geneva, Switzerland; 20 June 1954) ![]() ![]() (Istanbul, Turkey; 10 November 1996) |
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Biggest defeat | ||||||||||||||||||||
![]() ![]() (Chorzów, Poland; 24 April 1968) ![]() ![]() (Istanbul, Turkey; 14 November 1984) ![]() ![]() (London, England; 14 October 1987) |
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World Cup | ||||||||||||||||||||
Appearances | 2 (first in 1954) | |||||||||||||||||||
Best result | Third place (2002) | |||||||||||||||||||
European Championship | ||||||||||||||||||||
Appearances | 6 (first in 1996) | |||||||||||||||||||
Best result | Semi-finals (2008) | |||||||||||||||||||
Olympic Games | ||||||||||||||||||||
Appearances | 6 (first in 1924) | |||||||||||||||||||
Best result | Quarter-finals (1948, 1952) | |||||||||||||||||||
Confederations Cup | ||||||||||||||||||||
Appearances | 1 (first in 2003) | |||||||||||||||||||
Best result | Third place (2003) | |||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Website | tff.org |
The Turkey national football team represents Turkey in men's international football games. FIFA and UEFA know the team as Türkiye. The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) manages the team. This group was started in 1923. It joined FIFA in 1923 and UEFA in 1962.
The team played its first official game in 1923. They have played in big tournaments since the 1924 Summer Olympics. Turkey has been in the Summer Olympics six times. They reached the quarter-finals in 1948 and 1952.
The team had its best results in the 2000s. They finished third at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. They also got third place in the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup. In UEFA Euro 2008, they reached the semi-finals. Turkey has played in the FIFA World Cup twice. They won a bronze medal in 2002. The team has played in the UEFA European Championship six times. They reached the quarter-finals in UEFA Euro 2000. They made it to the semi-finals in UEFA Euro 2008. Turkey also played in UEFA Euro 2016, UEFA Euro 2020, and UEFA Euro 2024. They reached the quarter-finals in Euro 2024. Turkey will be a co-host for UEFA Euro 2032. This means they will automatically qualify.
Contents
History of Turkish Football
How the Team Started
Turkey's first game was against Romania. It was on October 26, 1923, in Istanbul. The game ended in a 2–2 draw. Zeki Rıza Sporel scored Turkey's first two goals. Turkey played its first official match at the 1924 Summer Olympics. They lost 5–2 to Czechoslovakia. Bekir Refet scored Turkey's first official goals.
Turkey qualified for the 1950 FIFA World Cup. They beat Syria 7–0. But they could not go because of money problems. Turkey then qualified for the 1954 FIFA World Cup. They played against Spain. They lost 4–1, then won 1–0. A coin toss decided who would go to the World Cup, and Turkey won!
In the 1954 World Cup, Turkey was in a group with Hungary and West Germany. They did not play Hungary due to the tournament rules. Turkey lost 4–1 to West Germany. Then they beat South Korea 7–0. Turkey lost a play-off game to West Germany 7–2. In 1956, Turkey beat Hungary 3–1 in a friendly game. Lefter Küçükandonyadis, a great Turkish striker, scored two goals.
Close Calls and Tough Times
The 1960s were hard for the national team. Many players from the 1954 World Cup retired. The new players did not qualify for any big tournaments. In the 1970s, Turkey almost qualified for UEFA Euro 1972 and UEFA Euro 1976. They were just one point short.
The 1980s saw Turkey's biggest losses. They lost 8–0 twice to England. They also lost 8–0 to Poland. But things started to change for the better. The 1990 World Cup qualifiers were a turning point. Turkey almost qualified in the last match. Famous players from this time included Rıdvan Dilmen and Tanju Çolak.
The 1990s: A New Era
In 1990, coach Sepp Piontek took over the team. He brought in many new, talented players. These players became very important for the team. Some of them were Bülent Korkmaz, Alpay Özalan, Rüştü Reçber, and Hakan Şükür. Piontek left in 1993. Fatih Terim became the new coach. He led Turkey to qualify for UEFA Euro 1996. This was Turkey's first major tournament since 1954.
Turkey qualified for Euro 1996 by beating Switzerland and Sweden. In the tournament, Turkey lost all its games. They did not score any goals. But they won the fair play award.
The 2000s: Golden Age
Turkey did not qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. But they made it to UEFA Euro 2000. They won a play-off against Republic of Ireland. In Euro 2000, Turkey lost to Italy. They drew with Sweden. Then they beat host nation Belgium 2–0. This win sent Turkey to the quarter-finals. They lost 2–0 to Portugal.
For the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Turkey finished second in their group. They played a play-off against Austria. Turkey won 6–0 over two games. They went to the World Cup finals. Turkey lost their first game 2–1 to Brazil. They qualified from their group with a 3–0 win against China PR. They also drew 1–1 with Costa Rica.
Turkey then beat co-hosts Japan 1–0. They continued their great run. They beat Senegal 1–0 with a golden goal. This sent them to the semi-finals. They lost 1–0 to Brazil again. Turkey then played for third place. They won the bronze medal by beating South Korea 3–2. Hakan Şükür scored Turkey's first goal in just 10.8 seconds. This was the fastest goal in World Cup history!
Thousands of Turkish fans welcomed the team home. They had a huge party in Istanbul. Rüştü Reçber, Alpay Özalan, and Hasan Şaş were chosen for the All-Star Team. Rüştü Reçber was also named the best goalkeeper.
In 2003, Turkey finished third at the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup. They beat the United States 2–1. They lost to Cameroon 1–0. Turkey drew 2–2 with Brazil, which meant Brazil was out. Turkey lost to France 3–2 in the semi-finals. They beat Colombia 2–1 for third place. Tuncay won the Silver Shoe and Silver Ball awards.
Turkey did not qualify for UEFA Euro 2004. They lost to Latvia in the play-offs. They also missed the 2006 FIFA World Cup. They lost to Switzerland on away goals.
Turkey qualified for UEFA Euro 2008. They finished second in their group behind Greece. In the tournament, they lost 2–0 to Portugal. But they won against Switzerland (2–1) and the Czech Republic (3–2). These wins came from late goals. Turkey reached the knockout stages. They beat Croatia in the quarter-finals after a penalty shootout. The game was 1–1 after extra time. Turkey won the shootout 3–1. Turkey played Germany in the semi-finals. They lost 3–2 with a last-minute goal. They finished third by default.
The 2010s: Ups and Downs
Turkey did not qualify for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. They finished with 15 points. Bosnia and Herzegovina got the play-off spot. Coach Fatih Terim resigned after this.
Turkey reached the play-offs for UEFA Euro 2012. They beat Azerbaijan 1–0. But they lost 3–0 to Croatia over two games.
On November 14, 2012, Turkey played its 500th match. It was a friendly game against Denmark. The game ended in a 1–1 draw. Before the match, past players and coaches were honored.
Turkey did not qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. They finished fourth in their group. Abdullah Avcı was fired as coach. Fatih Terim took over again. But a 2–0 loss to the Netherlands ended their hopes.
Turkey qualified for UEFA Euro 2016. They were the best third-placed team. They beat Iceland 1–0 with a late goal. They had been unbeaten for a year and a half. But they lost to England in a friendly game. Then they lost to Croatia and Spain in the tournament. Turkey won their last game against the Czech Republic 2–0. They almost reached the last 16.
For 2018 World Cup qualifying, Fatih Terim left. Mircea Lucescu became the new manager. Turkey was in a good position to qualify. But a 3–0 loss to Iceland at home ended their hopes. They finished fourth in their group.
Turkey played in the 2018–19 UEFA Nations League B. They lost 2–1 to Russia. Then they beat Sweden 3–2. But they lost to Russia again. They also lost 1–0 to Sweden at home. This meant they were supposed to go down to League C. But UEFA changed the rules, so Turkey stayed in League B.
Turkey qualified for UEFA Euro 2020. They were in a group with France, Iceland, Albania, Moldova, and Andorra. Coach Şenol Güneş brought in many young players. They also had experienced players like Burak Yılmaz. The team beat France 2–0 at home. They drew 1–1 in France. Turkey struggled against Andorra, winning 1–0 with a late goal. Their only loss was 2–1 to Iceland. This loss came after the team had problems at Iceland's airport. Turkish media criticized the events. Turkey secured their spot in Euro 2020 finals with a 0–0 draw against Iceland.
The 2020s: Recent Games
Euro 2020 was postponed to 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Turkey played in the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League B. They were with Russia, Hungary, and Serbia. They lost 1–0 to Hungary. They drew 0–0 with Serbia. This made it harder to get promoted to League A.
In Moscow, Turkey drew 1–1 with Russia. Then they drew 2–2 with Serbia at home. Later, Turkey beat Russia 3–2. But they lost 2–0 to Hungary. This meant Turkey was relegated to League C.
Turkey opened the Euro 2020 finals. They lost 3–0 to Italy. An own goal by Merih Demiral gave Italy the lead. Turkey then lost their next two games. They lost to Switzerland and Wales. They lost all three games in the tournament.
In the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Turkey was in Group G. They finished second behind the Netherlands. They went to the play-offs against Portugal. They lost 3–1. Burak Yılmaz missed a key penalty. Turkey did not qualify for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. After this, Burak Yılmaz retired from international football.
In the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League C, Turkey was in Group 1. They played against Luxembourg, the Faroe Islanders, and Lithuania. They won 13 points in six games. They were promoted to League B. This success also gave them a play-off spot for future tournaments. They also got an easier draw for Euro 2024 qualifiers. They were in Group D with Croatia, Wales, Armenia, and Latvia. Turkey qualified directly for Euro 2024 on October 16, 2023. They finished first in their group on November 19, 2023.
Turkey played in UEFA Euro 2024 Group F. They were with Portugal, Czech Republic, and Georgia. They finished second in the group. The team reached the quarter-finals. They beat Austria 2–1. Then they lost to the Netherlands 2–1. They finished the tournament in 5th place.
Future Tournaments
Turkey will be a co-host for UEFA Euro 2032. They will automatically qualify for the tournament. Italy will also be a co-host.
Team Kits
Turkey's home kits used to be red and away kits white. These were made by Adidas from 1982 to 2002. Nike became the kit maker in 2003. 17 years later, they changed their main colors. Now, white is the home kit color, and red is the away color.
Kit provider | Period |
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1982–2002 |
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2003–present |
Team Rivalries
Turkey has some well-known rivalries. The most famous ones are with Croatia and Greece.
Turkey and Croatia have played nine times. Their first game was at UEFA Euro 1996. Croatia won 1–0. In UEFA Euro 2008, Turkey won on penalties after a 1–1 draw. They also played in the 2012 Euro qualifying play-offs. Croatia won 3–0 in the first game. They went to the finals after a 0–0 draw in the second game. They met again at UEFA Euro 2016. Croatia won 1–0. Three months later, they drew 1–1 in a World Cup qualifier. A year later, Turkey won 1–0 at home. This win was important for both teams. They played again in UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying. Turkey surprised Croatia with a 1–0 away win. Turkey topped their qualification group for the first time ever.
Turkey also has a long rivalry with Greece. They have played 13 times. Turkey has won eight games, drawn three, and lost three. Both teams are known for doing better than expected. Greece won UEFA Euro 2004 when no one thought they would. Turkey reached the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2008. Because of history between the two countries, this is a big football rivalry.
Coaching Staff
Position | Name |
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Head coach | ![]() |
Assistant coaches | ![]() |
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Goalkeeping coaches | ![]() |
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Fitness coach | ![]() |
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Match analyst | ![]() |
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Team manager | ![]() |
Current Players
- The following 29 players were called up for friendly matches. These were against the United States and Mexico. The games were on June 7 and 10, 2025.
- Caps and goals are correct as of June 10, 2025, after the match against Mexico.
No. | Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club |
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1 | GK | Altay Bayındır | 14 April 1998 | 10 | 0 | ![]() |
12 | GK | Berke Özer | 25 May 2000 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
23 | GK | Muhammed Şengezer | 5 January 1997 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
GK | Uğurcan Çakır | 5 April 1996 | 31 | 0 | ![]() |
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2 | DF | Zeki Çelik | 17 February 1997 | 54 | 2 | ![]() |
3 | DF | Merih Demiral | 5 March 1998 | 55 | 4 | ![]() |
4 | DF | Çağlar Söyüncü | 23 May 1996 | 58 | 2 | ![]() |
13 | DF | Eren Elmalı | 7 July 2000 | 17 | 0 | ![]() |
14 | DF | Samet Akaydin | 13 May 1994 | 14 | 1 | ![]() |
15 | DF | Yusuf Akçiçek | 25 January 2006 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
18 | DF | Mert Müldür | 3 April 1999 | 36 | 2 | ![]() |
24 | DF | Mustafa Eskihellaç | 5 May 1997 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
26 | DF | Yasin Özcan | 20 April 2006 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
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5 | MF | Okay Yokuşlu | 9 March 1994 | 47 | 1 | ![]() |
6 | MF | Orkun Kökçü | 29 December 2000 | 41 | 3 | ![]() |
16 | MF | İsmail Yüksek | 26 January 1999 | 25 | 1 | ![]() |
22 | MF | Kaan Ayhan (vice-captain) | 10 November 1994 | 71 | 5 | ![]() |
25 | MF | Demir Ege Tıknaz | 17 August 2004 | 1 | 0 | ![]() |
MF | Hakan Çalhanoğlu (captain) | 8 February 1994 | 97 | 21 | ![]() |
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MF | Salih Özcan | 11 January 1998 | 23 | 0 | ![]() |
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7 | FW | Kerem Aktürkoğlu | 21 October 1998 | 44 | 12 | ![]() |
8 | FW | Ahmed Kutucu | 1 March 2000 | 4 | 0 | ![]() |
9 | FW | Barış Alper Yılmaz | 23 May 2000 | 28 | 2 | ![]() |
10 | FW | Arda Güler | 25 February 2005 | 21 | 5 | ![]() |
11 | FW | Kenan Yıldız | 4 May 2005 | 21 | 2 | ![]() |
17 | FW | İrfan Can Kahveci | 15 July 1995 | 41 | 5 | ![]() |
19 | FW | Deniz Gül | 2 July 2004 | 3 | 0 | ![]() |
20 | FW | Oğuz Aydın | 27 October 2000 | 4 | 0 | ![]() |
21 | FW | Can Uzun | 11 November 2005 | 3 | 0 | ![]() |
FW | Mustafa Hekimoğlu | 22 April 2007 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
Recent Call-ups
These players have also been called up to the team in the last year.
Pos. | Player | Date of birth (age) | Caps | Goals | Club | Latest call-up |
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GK | Mert GünokINJ | 1 March 1989 | 37 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
GK | Mert BayramTRA | 2 January 2005 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
GK | Jankat YılmazTRA | 16 August 2004 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
GK | Emre BilginTRA | 26 February 2004 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
GK | Doğan AlemdarINJ | 29 October 2002 | 2 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
GK | Deniz DilmenTRA | 5 June 2005 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
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DF | Abdülkerim Bardakcı | 7 September 1994 | 19 | 2 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Rayyan Baniya | 18 February 1999 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Taha Şahin | 22 October 2000 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Gökhan Sazdağı | 20 September 1994 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Ferdi KadıoğluINJ | 7 October 1999 | 22 | 1 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Ozan KabakINJ | 25 March 2000 | 26 | 2 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Cenk ÖzkacarINJ | 6 October 2000 | 9 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Metehan BaltacıTRA | 3 November 2002 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
DF | Emrecan TerziTRA | 5 January 2004 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
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MF | Atakan Karazor | 13 October 1996 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
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MF | İsak VuralTRA | 28 May 2006 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Doğucan Haspolat | 11 February 2000 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Yunus KonakTRA | 10 January 2006 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Bartuğ ElmazTRA | 17 February 2003 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
MF | Yusuf Özdemir | 10 January 2001 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
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FW | Emre Mor | 24 July 1997 | 15 | 1 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Yunus AkgünINJ | 7 July 2000 | 14 | 2 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Enes ÜnalINJ | 10 May 1997 | 34 | 3 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Bertuğ Yıldırım | 12 January 2002 | 5 | 2 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Semih Kılıçsoy | 15 August 2005 | 4 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Cihan Çanak | 24 January 2005 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Eren DinkçiINJ | 13 December 2001 | 0 | 0 | ![]() |
v. ![]() |
FW | Umut Nayir | 28 June 1993 | 4 | 1 | ![]() |
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Player Records
- Players in bold are still active with the Turkey national team.
Most Games Played
Rank | Player | Caps | Goals | Career |
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1 | Rüştü Reçber | 120 | 0 | 1994–2012 |
2 | Hakan Şükür | 112 | 51 | 1992–2007 |
3 | Bülent Korkmaz | 102 | 2 | 1990–2005 |
4 | Emre Belözoğlu | 101 | 9 | 2000–2019 |
5 | Arda Turan | 100 | 17 | 2006–2017 |
6 | Hakan Çalhanoğlu | 97 | 21 | 2013–present |
7 | Tugay Kerimoğlu | 94 | 2 | 1990–2007 |
8 | Alpay Özalan | 90 | 4 | 1995–2005 |
9 | Hamit Altıntop | 82 | 7 | 2004–2014 |
10 | Mehmet Topal | 81 | 2 | 2008–2018 |
Top Goal Scorers
Rank | Player | Goals | Caps | Ratio | Career |
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1 | Hakan Şükür | 51 | 112 | 0.46 | 1992–2007 |
2 | Burak Yılmaz | 31 | 77 | 0.4 | 2006–2022 |
3 | Tuncay Şanlı | 22 | 80 | 0.28 | 2002–2010 |
4 | Lefter Küçükandonyadis | 21 | 46 | 0.46 | 1948–1963 |
Cenk Tosun | 21 | 53 | 0.4 | 2013–present | |
Hakan Çalhanoğlu | 21 | 97 | 0.22 | 2013–present | |
7 | Metin Oktay | 19 | 36 | 0.53 | 1956–1968 |
Cemil Turan | 19 | 44 | 0.43 | 1969–1979 | |
Nihat Kahveci | 19 | 68 | 0.28 | 2000–2011 | |
10 | Arda Turan | 17 | 100 | 0.17 | 2006–2017 |
Most Clean Sheets
Rank | Player | Clean sheets | Caps | Ratio | Career |
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1 | Rüştü Reçber | 58 | 120 | 0.48 | 1994–2012 |
2 | Volkan Demirel | 22 | 63 | 0.35 | 2004–2014 |
3 | Turgay Şeren | 16 | 46 | 0.35 | 1950–1966 |
4 | Volkan Babacan | 15 | 35 | 0.43 | 2014–2018 |
Mert Günok | 15 | 37 | 0.41 | 2012–present | |
6 | Ömer Çatkıç | 10 | 19 | 0.53 | 2000–2005 |
Engin İpekoğlu | 10 | 32 | 0.31 | 1989–1999 | |
Uğurcan Çakır | 10 | 31 | 0.32 | 2019–present | |
9 | Sabri Dino | 7 | 12 | 0.58 | 1969–1975 |
Sinan Bolat | 7 | 12 | 0.58 | 2009–2019 |
Milestone Goals
This table shows when Turkey scored its milestone goals.
Goal no. | Date | Scorer | Opponent | Result |
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1st | 26 October 1923 | Zeki Rıza Sporel | ![]() |
2–2 |
100th | 23 June 1954 | Mustafa Ertan | ![]() |
2–7 |
200th | 14 February 1973 | Osman Arpacıoğlu | ![]() |
4–0 |
300th | 27 February 1991 | Uğur Tütüneker | ![]() |
1–1 |
400th | 27 March 1999 | Sergen Yalçın | ![]() |
2–0 |
500th | 9 October 2004 | Fatih Tekke | ![]() |
4–0 |
600th | 5 September 2009 | Arda Turan | ![]() |
4–2 |
700th | 3 September 2015 | Selçuk İnan | ![]() |
1–1 |
800th | 13 November 2021 | Kerem Aktürkoğlu | ![]() |
6–0 |
Tournament History
FIFA World Cup
Turkey has played in the FIFA World Cup twice. Their best result was third place in 2002.
FIFA World Cup record | Qualification record | ||||||||||||||||
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Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | ||
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Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||
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Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||
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Did not enter | Did not enter | |||||||||||||||
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Qualified but withdrew | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | ||||||||||
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Group stage | 9th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 11 | Squad | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | ||
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Withdrew | Withdrew | |||||||||||||||
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Did not qualify | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | ||||||||||
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6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 19 | |||||||||||
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4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 13 | |||||||||||
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6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 3 | |||||||||||
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6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 5 | |||||||||||
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8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | 22 | |||||||||||
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8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 24 | |||||||||||
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8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 10 | |||||||||||
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10 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 11 | 19 | |||||||||||
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8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 21 | 9 | |||||||||||
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Third place | 3rd | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 6 | Squad | 12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 24 | 8 | ||
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Did not qualify | 14 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 27 | 13 | ||||||||||
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10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 10 | |||||||||||
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10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 16 | 9 | |||||||||||
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10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 14 | 13 | |||||||||||
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11 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 28 | 19 | |||||||||||
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To be determined | To be determined | |||||||||||||||
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Total | Third place | 2/22 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 20 | 17 | — | 139 | 53 | 27 | 59 | 204 | 206 |
UEFA European Championship
Turkey has played in the UEFA European Championship six times. They reached the semi-finals in 2008.
UEFA European Championship record | Qualification record | |||||||||||||||
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Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Squad | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
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Did not qualify | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | |||||||||
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2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | ||||||||||
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6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 8 | ||||||||||
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6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 13 | ||||||||||
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6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 10 | ||||||||||
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6 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 | ||||||||||
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8 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 16 | ||||||||||
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6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 16 | ||||||||||
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6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 14 | ||||||||||
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Group stage | 16th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | Squad | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 16 | 8 | |
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Quarter-finals | 6th | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Squad | 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 16 | 7 | |
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Did not qualify | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 19 | 8 | |||||||||
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Semi-finals | 3rd | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 9 | Squad | 12 | 7 | 3 | 2 | 25 | 11 | |
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Did not qualify | 12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 13 | 14 | |||||||||
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Group stage | 17th | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | Squad | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 9 | |
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24th | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | Squad | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 3 | ||
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Quarter-finals | 7th | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 8 | Squad | 8 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 14 | 7 | |
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To be determined | To be determined | ||||||||||||||
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Qualified as co-hosts | Qualified as co-hosts | ||||||||||||||
Total | Semi-finals | 6/19 | 23 | 7 | 2 | 14 | 22 | 38 | 128 | 56 | 31 | 41 | 166 | 159 |
FIFA Confederations Cup
Turkey has played in the FIFA Confederations Cup once. They finished third in 2003.
FIFA Confederations Cup record | |||||||||
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Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad |
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Did not qualify | ||||||||
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Third place | 3rd | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 8 | Squad |
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Did not qualify | ||||||||
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Total | Third place | 1/10 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 8 | — |
Olympic Games
Turkey has played in the Olympic Games six times. Their best result was reaching the quarter-finals twice.
Olympic Games record | |||||||||
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Year | Result | Position | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | Squad |
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Round 1 | 13th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 5 | Squad |
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14th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 7 | Squad | |
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15th | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Squad | |
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Quarter-finals | 6th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 3 | Squad |
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8th | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 8 | Squad | |
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Withdrew | ||||||||
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Round 1 | 14th | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 10 | Squad |
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Did not qualify | ||||||||
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Withdrew | ||||||||
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Did not qualify | ||||||||
Since 1992 | See Turkey national under-23 football team | ||||||||
Total | Quarter-finals | 6/14 | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 14 | 34 | — |
Team Achievements
Major Competitions
- FIFA World Cup
Third place: 2002
- UEFA European Championship
- Semi-finalist: 2008
- FIFA Confederations Cup
Regional Competitions
- Balkan Cup
- Runners-up (1): 1931
- Mediterranean Cup
- Runners-up (1): 1949
Friendly Tournaments
- ECO Cup
- Champions (3): 1967, 1969, 1974
- Runners-up (2): 1965, 1970
Summary of Medals
Competition | ![]() |
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Total |
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FIFA World Cup | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
FIFA Confederations Cup | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
UEFA European Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Special Recognition
In 2002, the national team received the Turkish "State Medal of Distinguished Service". This was for their third-place finish at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. All the team members, coaches, and officials got medals.
See also
In Spanish: Selección de fútbol de Turquía para niños
- Turkey national under-21 football team
- Turkey national under-20 football team
- Turkey national under-19 football team
- Turkey national under-17 football team
- Turkey national youth football team
- Turkish football clubs in European competitions