Turkey national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Türkiye

Nickname(s)	Ay-Yıldızlılar (The Crescent-Stars) Bizim Çocuklar (Our Boys)
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
First colours Second colours
FIFA ranking
Current	41 2 (7 February 2019)
Highest	5 (June 2004)
Lowest	67 (October 1993)
Elo ranking
Current	44 5 (3 March 2019)
Highest	10 (16 October 2020, November 2002)
Lowest	72 (13 November 1985, 29 October 1986)
First international
Turkey 2–2 Romania  (Istanbul, Turkey; 26 October 1923)
Biggest win
Turkey 7–0 Syria  (Ankara, Turkey; 20 November 1949)  Turkey 7–0 South Korea  (Geneva, Switzerland; 20 June 1954)  Turkey 7–0 San Marino  (Istanbul, Turkey; 10 November 1996)
Biggest defeat
Poland 8–0 Turkey  (Chorzów, Poland; 24 April 1968)  Turkey 0–8 England  (Istanbul, Turkey; 14 November 1984)  England 8–0 Turkey  (London, England; 14 October 1987)
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 FIFA World Cup Bronze 2002 Korea/Japan Team UEFA European Championship Bronze 2008 Austria–Switzerland Team FIFA Confederations Cup Bronze 2003 France Team
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.

History of Turkish Football

How the Team Started

An early team photo from 1922.

Turkey playing against Romania in 1923.

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

Turkey playing against the Netherlands in 1958.

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.

The Turkish national football team on an Azerbaijan stamp for Euro 1996.

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.

The Turkish national team on an Azerbaijani stamp for the 2002 FIFA World Cup.

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.

Turkey playing against France on June 5, 2009.

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.

The Turkish team during Euro 2012 qualification.

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 playing against Austria on March 29, 2016.

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

Turkey during the UEFA Euro 2020 group stage match against Wales in Baku.

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
Adidas	1982–2002
Nike	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
Head coach	Vincenzo Montella
Assistant coaches	Daniele Russo
	Selçuk Şahin
Goalkeeping coaches	Ozan Özerkan
	Emrah Karakovan
Fitness coach	Pierpaolo Polino
	Ömür Serdal Altunsöz
	Vural Durmuş
Match analyst	Massimo Crivellaro
	Okan Aydıner
Team manager	Ceyhun Kazanci

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
1	1GK	Altay Bayındır	(1998-04-14) 14 April 1998 (age 27)	10	0	Manchester United
12	1GK	Berke Özer	(2000-05-25) 25 May 2000 (age 25)	2	0	Eyüpspor
23	1GK	Muhammed Şengezer	(1997-01-05) 5 January 1997 (age 28)	0	0	İstanbul Başakşehir
	1GK	Uğurcan Çakır	(1996-04-05) 5 April 1996 (age 29)	31	0	Trabzonspor
2	2DF	Zeki Çelik	(1997-02-17) 17 February 1997 (age 28)	54	2	Roma
3	2DF	Merih Demiral	(1998-03-05) 5 March 1998 (age 27)	55	4	Al-Ahli
4	2DF	Çağlar Söyüncü	(1996-05-23) 23 May 1996 (age 29)	58	2	Fenerbahçe
13	2DF	Eren Elmalı	(2000-07-07) 7 July 2000 (age 25)	17	0	Galatasaray
14	2DF	Samet Akaydin	(1994-05-13) 13 May 1994 (age 31)	14	1	Çaykur Rizespor
15	2DF	Yusuf Akçiçek	(2006-01-25) 25 January 2006 (age 19)	2	0	Fenerbahçe
18	2DF	Mert Müldür	(1999-04-03) 3 April 1999 (age 26)	36	2	Fenerbahçe
24	2DF	Mustafa Eskihellaç	(1997-05-05) 5 May 1997 (age 28)	2	0	Trabzonspor
26	2DF	Yasin Özcan	(2006-04-20) 20 April 2006 (age 19)	1	0	Kasımpaşa
5	3MF	Okay Yokuşlu	(1994-03-09) 9 March 1994 (age 31)	47	1	Trabzonspor
6	3MF	Orkun Kökçü	(2000-12-29) 29 December 2000 (age 24)	41	3	Beşiktaş
16	3MF	İsmail Yüksek	(1999-01-26) 26 January 1999 (age 26)	25	1	Fenerbahçe
22	3MF	Kaan Ayhan (vice-captain)	(1994-11-10) 10 November 1994 (age 30)	71	5	Galatasaray
25	3MF	Demir Ege Tıknaz	(2004-08-17) 17 August 2004 (age 21)	1	0	Rio Ave
	3MF	Hakan Çalhanoğlu (captain)	(1994-02-08) 8 February 1994 (age 31)	97	21	Inter Milan
	3MF	Salih Özcan	(1998-01-11) 11 January 1998 (age 27)	23	0	Borussia Dortmund
7	4FW	Kerem Aktürkoğlu	(1998-10-21) 21 October 1998 (age 26)	44	12	Benfica
8	4FW	Ahmed Kutucu	(2000-03-01) 1 March 2000 (age 25)	4	0	Galatasaray
9	4FW	Barış Alper Yılmaz	(2000-05-23) 23 May 2000 (age 25)	28	2	Galatasaray
10	4FW	Arda Güler	(2005-02-25) 25 February 2005 (age 20)	21	5	Real Madrid
11	4FW	Kenan Yıldız	(2005-05-04) 4 May 2005 (age 20)	21	2	Juventus
17	4FW	İrfan Can Kahveci	(1995-07-15) 15 July 1995 (age 30)	41	5	Fenerbahçe
19	4FW	Deniz Gül	(2004-07-02) 2 July 2004 (age 21)	3	0	Porto
20	4FW	Oğuz Aydın	(2000-10-27) 27 October 2000 (age 24)	4	0	Fenerbahçe
21	4FW	Can Uzun	(2005-11-11) 11 November 2005 (age 19)	3	0	Eintracht Frankfurt
	4FW	Mustafa Hekimoğlu	(2007-04-22) 22 April 2007 (age 18)	0	0	Beşiktaş

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
GK	Mert GünokINJ	(1989-03-01) 1 March 1989 (age 36)	37	0	Beşiktaş	v.  Hungary, 23 March 2025
GK	Mert BayramTRA	(2005-01-02) 2 January 2005 (age 20)	0	0	Alanyaspor	v.  Hungary, 23 March 2025
GK	Jankat YılmazTRA	(2004-08-16) 16 August 2004 (age 21)	0	0	Galatasaray	v.  Hungary, 20 March 2025
GK	Emre BilginTRA	(2004-02-26) 26 February 2004 (age 21)	0	0	Fatih Karagümrük	v.  Wales, 16 November 2024
GK	Doğan AlemdarINJ	(2002-10-29) 29 October 2002 (age 22)	2	0	Rennes	v.  Montenegro, 11 October 2024
GK	Deniz DilmenTRA	(2005-06-05) 5 June 2005 (age 20)	0	0	İstanbul Başakşehir	v.  Wales, 6 September 2024
DF	Abdülkerim Bardakcı	(1994-09-07) 7 September 1994 (age 30)	19	2	Galatasaray	v.  Hungary, 23 March 2025
DF	Rayyan Baniya	(1999-02-18) 18 February 1999 (age 26)	0	0	Palermo	v.  Hungary, 23 March 2025
DF	Taha Şahin	(2000-10-22) 22 October 2000 (age 24)	0	0	Çaykur Rizespor	v.  Hungary, 23 March 2025
DF	Gökhan Sazdağı	(1994-09-20) 20 September 1994 (age 30)	0	0	Kayserispor	v.  Montenegro, 19 November 2024
DF	Ferdi KadıoğluINJ	(1999-10-07) 7 October 1999 (age 25)	22	1	Brighton & Hove Albion	v.  Wales, 16 November 2024
DF	Ozan KabakINJ	(2000-03-25) 25 March 2000 (age 25)	26	2	TSG Hoffenheim	v.  Montenegro, 11 October 2024
DF	Cenk ÖzkacarINJ	(2000-10-06) 6 October 2000 (age 24)	9	0	Real Valladolid	v.  Montenegro, 11 October 2024
DF	Metehan BaltacıTRA	(2002-11-03) 3 November 2002 (age 22)	0	0	Galatasaray	v.  Wales, 6 September 2024
DF	Emrecan TerziTRA	(2004-01-05) 5 January 2004 (age 21)	0	0	Beşiktaş	v.  Wales, 6 September 2024
MF	Atakan Karazor	(1996-10-13) 13 October 1996 (age 28)	0	0	VfB Stuttgart	v.  Hungary, 23 March 2025
MF	İsak VuralTRA	(2006-05-28) 28 May 2006 (age 19)	0	0	Frosinone	v.  Hungary, 20 March 2025
MF	Doğucan Haspolat	(2000-02-11) 11 February 2000 (age 25)	0	0	Westerlo	v.  Montenegro, 19 November 2024
MF	Yunus KonakTRA	(2006-01-10) 10 January 2006 (age 19)	0	0	Brentford	v.  Wales, 16 November 2024
MF	Bartuğ ElmazTRA	(2003-02-17) 17 February 2003 (age 22)	0	0	Fenerbahçe	v.  Wales, 6 September 2024
MF	Yusuf Özdemir	(2001-01-10) 10 January 2001 (age 24)	0	0	Alanyaspor	v.  Wales, 6 September 2024
FW	Emre Mor	(1997-07-24) 24 July 1997 (age 28)	15	1	Eyüpspor	v.  Hungary, 23 March 2025
FW	Yunus AkgünINJ	(2000-07-07) 7 July 2000 (age 25)	14	2	Galatasaray	v.  Hungary, 23 March 2025
FW	Enes ÜnalINJ	(1997-05-10) 10 May 1997 (age 28)	34	3	Bournemouth	v.  Montenegro, 19 November 2024
FW	Bertuğ Yıldırım	(2002-01-12) 12 January 2002 (age 23)	5	2	Getafe	v.  Montenegro, 19 November 2024
FW	Semih Kılıçsoy	(2005-08-15) 15 August 2005 (age 20)	4	0	Beşiktaş	v.  Montenegro, 19 November 2024
FW	Cihan Çanak	(2005-01-24) 24 January 2005 (age 20)	0	0	Trabzonspor	v.  Montenegro, 19 November 2024
FW	Eren DinkçiINJ	(2001-12-13) 13 December 2001 (age 23)	0	0	SC Freiburg	v.  Wales, 16 November 2024
FW	Umut Nayir	(1993-06-28) 28 June 1993 (age 32)	4	1	Konyaspor	v.  Wales, 6 September 2024
Notes PRE = Preliminary squad/standby. INJ = Not part of the current squad due to injury. SUS = Player is suspended. RET = Retired from international football. TRA = Player is included for training purposes only.

Player Records

Players in bold are still active with the Turkey national team.

Most Games Played

Rüştü Reçber has played the most games for Turkey (120).

Top Goal Scorers

Hakan Şükür is Turkey's top scorer with 51 goals.

Most Clean Sheets

Milestone Goals

Selçuk İnan scored Turkey's 700th goal in November 2015.

This table shows when Turkey scored its milestone goals.

Goal no.	Date	Scorer	Opponent	Result
1st	26 October 1923	Zeki Rıza Sporel	Romania	2–2
100th	23 June 1954	Mustafa Ertan	West Germany	2–7
200th	14 February 1973	Osman Arpacıoğlu	Algeria	4–0
300th	27 February 1991	Uğur Tütüneker	Yugoslavia	1–1
400th	27 March 1999	Sergen Yalçın	Moldova	2–0
500th	9 October 2004	Fatih Tekke	Kazakhstan	4–0
600th	5 September 2009	Arda Turan	Estonia	4–2
700th	3 September 2015	Selçuk İnan	Latvia	1–1
800th	13 November 2021	Kerem Aktürkoğlu	Gibraltar	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
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1930	Did not enter										Did not enter
1934	Withdrew										Withdrew
1938	Did not enter										Did not enter
1950	Qualified but withdrew										1	1	0	0	7	0
1954	Group stage	9th	3	1	0	2	10	11	Squad		3	1	1	1	4	6
1958	Withdrew										Withdrew
1962	Did not qualify										4	2	0	2	4	4
1966											6	1	0	5	4	19
1970											4	0	0	4	2	13
1974											6	2	2	2	5	3
1978											6	2	1	3	9	5
1982											8	0	0	8	1	22
1986											8	0	1	7	2	24
1990											8	3	1	4	12	10
1994											10	3	1	6	11	19
1998											8	4	2	2	21	9
2002	Third place	3rd	7	4	1	2	10	6	Squad		12	8	3	1	24	8
2006	Did not qualify										14	7	5	2	27	13
2010											10	4	3	3	13	10
2014											10	5	1	4	16	9
2018											10	4	3	3	14	13
2022											11	6	3	2	28	19
2026	To be determined										To be determined
2030
2034
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
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D*	L	GF	GA	Squad		Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1960	Did not qualify										2	1	0	1	2	3
1964											2	0	0	2	0	7
1968											6	1	2	3	3	8
1972											6	2	1	3	5	13
1976											6	2	2	2	5	10
1980											6	3	1	2	5	5
1984											8	3	1	4	8	16
1988											6	0	2	4	2	16
1992											6	0	0	6	1	14
1996	Group stage	16th	3	0	0	3	0	5	Squad		8	4	3	1	16	8
2000	Quarter-finals	6th	4	1	1	2	3	4	Squad		10	5	4	1	16	7
2004	Did not qualify										10	6	2	2	19	8
2008	Semi-finals	3rd	5	2	1	2	8	9	Squad		12	7	3	2	25	11
2012	Did not qualify										12	5	3	4	13	14
2016	Group stage	17th	3	1	0	2	2	4	Squad		10	5	3	2	14	9
2020		24th	3	0	0	3	1	8	Squad		10	7	2	1	18	3
2024	Quarter-finals	7th	5	3	0	2	8	8	Squad		8	5	2	1	14	7
2028	To be determined										To be determined
2032	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
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
1992	Did not qualify
1995
1997
1999
2001
2003	Third place	3rd	5	2	1	2	8	8	Squad
2005	Did not qualify
2009
2013
2017
Total	Third place	1/10	5	2	1	2	8	8	—

Olympic Games

Turkey at the 1924 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Turkey at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam.

Turkey has played in the Olympic Games six times. Their best result was reaching the quarter-finals twice.

Olympic Games record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad
1924	Round 1	13th	1	0	0	1	2	5	Squad
1928		14th	1	0	0	1	1	7	Squad
1936		15th	1	0	0	1	0	1	Squad
1948	Quarter-finals	6th	2	1	0	1	5	3	Squad
1952		8th	2	1	0	1	3	8	Squad
1956	Withdrew
1960	Round 1	14th	3	0	1	2	3	10	Squad
1964	Did not qualify
1968
1972
1976
1980
1984	Withdrew
1988	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
  • Third place: 2003

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				Total
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