Turkey national football team facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Türkiye

Nicknames	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)
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	3 (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 and Japan Team FIFA Confederations Cup Bronze 2003 France Team UEFA European Championship Bronze 2008 Austria and Switzerland Team
Website	tff.org

The Turkey national football team (called Türkiye millî futbol takımı in Turkish) represents Turkey in international football games for men. The team is known as Türkiye by FIFA and UEFA. The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) manages the team. The TFF was started in 1923. Turkey joined FIFA in 1923 and UEFA in 1962.

The team played its first official international game in 1923. They have played in big competitions since their first time at the 1924 Summer Olympics. They played in the Summer Olympics six times. They reached the quarter-finals twice, in 1948 and 1952.

The team had its best years in the 2000s. They finished third at the 2002 FIFA World Cup and the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup. They also reached the semi-finals at UEFA Euro 2008. Turkey has played in the FIFA World Cup four times (1950, 1954, 2002, and 2026). In 2002, they reached the semi-finals and won the bronze medal. The team has qualified for the UEFA European Championship six times. They first played in Euro 1996. They reached the quarter-finals in Euro 2000 and the semi-finals in Euro 2008.

The team became very strong again starting in 2016. They successfully qualified for Euro 2016, Euro 2020, and Euro 2024. They reached the quarter-finals in Euro 2024. After 24 years, they qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup with coach Vincenzo Montella. The team also moved up to League A in 2025. This is the top division of the UEFA Nations League.

In October 2023, Turkey was chosen to co-host UEFA Euro 2032. This means they automatically qualified for that tournament.

Team History: A Journey Through Football

The Beginning: Early Games and First Stars

The Turkish national team played its very first game on October 26, 1923. It was against Romania in Istanbul. The game ended in a 2–2 draw. Zeki Rıza Sporel was a big star back then. He scored Turkey's first two goals against Romania.

Turkey's first official match was at the 1924 Summer Olympics. They lost 5–2 to Czechoslovakia. Bekir Refet scored the first two goals in an official game.

The 1950s: World Cup Dreams

Turkey qualified for the 1950 FIFA World Cup. They beat Syria 7–0! But they could not go to the tournament because of money problems.

Later, Turkey qualified for the 1954 FIFA World Cup. They played against Spain in a special play-off. They lost 4–1, then won 1–0. Because of the rules then, they played again and tied 2–2. Turkey won a coin toss to get their spot!

At the 1954 World Cup, Turkey was in a group with Hungary and West Germany. They did not play Hungary due to the tournament format. They lost 4–1 to West Germany. Then, they had a huge 7–0 win against South Korea. Turkey then lost a play-off game to West Germany 7–2.

In 1956, Turkey played a friendly match against Hungary in Istanbul. They beat one of the strongest teams of that time, 3–1. Lefter Küçükandonyadis, a great Turkish striker, scored two goals.

Close Calls and Tough Times

The 1960s were a quiet time for the national team. Many players from the 1954 World Cup retired. The new players could not qualify for big tournaments.

In the 1970s, Turkey almost qualified for the World Cup and UEFA European Championship. They were just one point short for both UEFA Euro 1972 and Euro 1976.

The 1980s brought some tough losses. Turkey lost 8–0 twice against England. They had also lost 8–0 to Poland in 1968. But things started to change with the 1990 World Cup qualifiers. Turkey almost qualified in the very last match. Famous players like Rıdvan Dilmen and Tanju Çolak played during this time.

The 1990s: A New Era Begins

In 1990, coach Sepp Piontek took over the national team. He brought in many new, talented players. These players, including Bülent Korkmaz, Alpay Özalan, Rüştü Reçber, and Hakan Şükür, became very important for the team for many years.

Piontek finished his work in 1993. Fatih Terim became the new coach. He led Turkey to qualify for Euro 1996. This was Turkey's first major tournament since 1954!

Turkey qualified for Euro 1996 by beating Switzerland and Sweden. At the tournament, Turkey lost all its matches and did not score any goals. But they still won a fair play award!

The 2000s: Golden Years

Turkey did not qualify for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. However, they qualified for Euro 2000 after winning a play-off against Ireland.

At Euro 2000, Turkey lost 2–1 to Italy. Then they drew 0–0 with Sweden. But they beat host nation Belgium 2–0! This was the first time a host nation was knocked out in the first round of the European Championship. This win sent Turkey to the quarter-finals. There, they lost 2–0 to Portugal.

For the 2002 World Cup, Turkey finished second in their qualifying group. They then played a play-off against Austria. They won 6–0 overall and secured their spot in the finals!

At the 2002 World Cup, Turkey lost 2–1 to Brazil, who later won the tournament. Turkey moved past the group stage with a 3–0 win against China PR and a 1–1 draw with Costa Rica. In the next round, Turkey beat co-hosts Japan 1–0. They kept going, beating Senegal 1–0 with a special "golden goal." This sent them to the semi-finals. They lost 1–0 to Brazil again.

Turkey then played for third place against co-hosts South Korea. They won the bronze medal with a 3–2 victory! 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 back to Istanbul. They celebrated with a huge party at Taksim Square. Players like Rüştü Reçber, Alpay Özalan, and Hasan Şaş were chosen for the World Cup All-Star Team. Rüştü Reçber was also named the best goalkeeper in the UEFA Team of the Year 2002.

In 2003, Turkey finished third at the FIFA Confederations Cup. They beat the United States 2–1. They lost to Cameroon 1–0. They drew 2–2 with Brazil, which knocked Brazil out of the tournament. Turkey lost 3–2 to France in the semi-finals. They then beat Colombia 2–1 for third place. Tuncay scored three goals and won the Silver Shoe and Silver Ball awards.

Turkey did not qualify for Euro 2004. They lost in the play-offs to Latvia. They also missed the 2006 World Cup. They lost in the play-offs to Switzerland on away goals.

Turkey qualified for Euro 2008. They finished second in their group behind Greece. At the tournament, they lost 2–0 to Portugal. But they won against Switzerland (2–1) and the Czech Republic (3–2) with late goals. This meant they moved to the knockout stages. Turkey had knocked out a host nation (Switzerland) in the group stages for the second time.

In the quarter-final against Croatia, the score was 0–0 after 90 minutes. Croatia scored in the last minute of extra time. But Turkey scored a very late goal by Semih Şentürk, making it 1–1. The game went to penalties, and Turkey won 3–1!

Turkey played Germany in the semi-finals. They had only 14 players available due to injuries and suspensions. Turkey scored first and the game was tied 2–2. But Germany scored a last-minute goal, and Turkey lost 3–2. They finished third by default.

The 2010s: Ups and Downs

Turkey was in a tough group for 2010 World Cup qualification. They finished with 15 points and missed out on a play-off spot. Coach Fatih Terim resigned after this.

Turkey played in qualification for Euro 2012. They reached the play-offs after beating Azerbaijan 1–0. But they were knocked out by Croatia, losing 3–0 overall.

On November 14, 2012, Turkey celebrated its 500th match. It was a friendly game against Denmark in Istanbul, ending in a 1–1 draw. Famous players and coaches were honored.

Turkey was in Group D for the 2014 World Cup qualification. They finished fourth and did not qualify. Abdullah Avcı was replaced by Fatih Terim for his third time as coach. But a 2–0 loss to the Netherlands ended their hopes.

Turkey qualified for Euro 2016. This was their first major tournament in eight years. They qualified as the best third-placed team in their group. They beat Iceland 1–0 with a late goal by Selçuk İnan. At the tournament, they lost to Croatia and Spain. They won their last game against the Czech Republic 2–0. They almost reached the next round.

For 2018 World Cup qualifying, manager Fatih Terim left. Mircea Lucescu took over. Turkey had a good chance to qualify after beating Croatia 1–0. 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 finished last in their group. They lost to Russia and Sweden. This meant they were initially moved down to League C. However, UEFA changed the rules, and Turkey stayed in League B.

Turkey was in Group H for Euro 2020 qualifiers. They were with 2018 World Cup champions France. Coach Şenol Güneş brought in many young players with experienced ones. The team beat France 2–0 at home and drew 1–1 away. Turkey's only loss in the group was 2–1 to Iceland. This loss came after some unfair treatment of the Turkish team at Iceland's airport. Turkey drew 0–0 with Iceland at home. They finished second in their group, which was enough to qualify for Euro 2020.

The 2020s: Recent Challenges and Successes

Euro 2020 was postponed to June and July 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Turkey was in a group with Russia, Hungary, and Serbia in the 2020–21 UEFA Nations League B. They did not play well in their first two games. They lost 1–0 to Hungary and drew 0–0 with Serbia.

In Moscow, Turkey drew 1–1 with Russia. Then they drew 2–2 with Serbia at home. Against Russia, Turkey won 3–2 after Russia had a player sent off. Turkey then lost 2–0 to Hungary. This meant Turkey was moved down to League C.

Turkey opened the Euro 2020 finals against Italy. They lost 3–0. They also lost their next two games to Switzerland and Wales. Turkey lost all three group games.

In the 2022 World Cup qualifiers, Turkey finished second in their group 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, Yılmaz retired from international football.

In the 2022–23 UEFA Nations League C, Turkey was in Group 1. They won 13 points in six games. This earned them promotion to League B. This success also gave them an easier draw for the Euro 2024 qualifiers. They qualified directly for Euro 2024 on October 16, 2023. They finished first in their group on November 19, 2023.

Turkey played in Euro 2024 Group F. They were with Portugal, the Czech Republic, and Georgia. They finished second in their group. The team reached the quarter-finals by beating Austria 2–1. They then lost to the Netherlands 2–1. They finished the tournament in 5th place.

In the 2024–25 UEFA Nations League B, Turkey was in Group 4. They finished second behind Wales. In the promotion play-offs against Hungary in March 2025, Turkey won 6–1 overall (3–1 and 3–0). This earned them promotion to League A for the first time. It was also their first win over Hungary in 18 years.

In the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, Turkey was in Group E. They were with Euro 2024 champions Spain, Georgia, and Bulgaria. They drew 2–2 away against Spain in their final group match in November 2025. They also won both home and away matches against Bulgaria and Georgia. However, Turkey finished second due to a worse goal difference, especially after a 0–6 home defeat earlier in September. This meant they advanced to the play-offs for the second time in a row.

In the play-off Path C, Turkey defeated Romania 1–0 in the semi-finals in Istanbul on March 26, 2026. Ferdi Kadıoğlu scored the goal. In the final, played away against Kosovo in Pristina on March 31, Turkey won 1–0. Kerem Aktürkoğlu scored the winning goal. This qualified Turkey for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, their first appearance in 24 years!

At the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Turkey did not perform well in Group D. They were the second team to be knocked out after Haiti. They lost 0–2 to Australia in their first match. Then they lost 0–1 to a 10-man Paraguay. Turkey had many shots but scored no goals in their first two games. The team won their final group match 3–2 against co-hosts United States. But they finished last in their group with three points.

The 2030s: Looking Ahead

Turkey is set to co-host UEFA Euro 2032 with Italy. They automatically qualified for this tournament in October 2023.

Team Kits and Sponsors

First kit of Turkey (1922)

Turkey's home kits used to be red and away kits white. Adidas made their kits from 1983 to 2002. Nike became the kit maker in 2003. For a while, they switched to white home kits and red away kits. But in 2026, red became the home kit and white became the away kit again.

Kit provider	Period
Adidas	1983−2002
Nike	2003−present

Team Rivalries

Turkey has some exciting rivalries with other teams. The most famous ones are with Croatia and Greece.

Turkey and Croatia have played nine times. Their first game was at Euro 1996, which Croatia won 1–0. At Euro 2008, Turkey won on penalties after a 1–1 draw. They met again in the 2012 Euro play-offs, where Croatia won. At Euro 2016, Croatia won 1–0. They also played in 2018 World Cup qualifying, drawing 1–1 and then Turkey winning 1–0 at home. Most recently, in UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying, Turkey surprised Croatia with a 1–0 away win and topped their group for the first time ever!

Turkey also has a long-standing rivalry with Greece. They have played 14 times. Turkey won eight matches, drew three, and lost only three. Both teams are known for doing better than expected. Greece won Euro 2004 as underdogs. Turkey reached the semi-finals of Euro 2008. This rivalry is considered one of the biggest in international football.

Match Results and Upcoming Games

Here are Turkey's match results from the last year, and any scheduled future matches.

      Win       Draw       Loss       Fixture

2025 Matches

2026 Matches

Coaching Staff

Position	Name
Head coach	Vincenzo Montella
Assistant coach(es)	Daniele Russo
	Hakan Balta
Goalkeeping coach(es)	Ozan Özerkan
	Emrah Karakovan
Fitness coach(es)	Pierpaolo Polino
	Ömür Serdal Altunsöz
	Vural Durmuş
Match analyst(s)	Massimo Crivellaro
	Okan Aydıner
Team manager	Ceyhun Kazanci

Team Players

Current Squad

These 26 players were chosen for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Caps and goals are correct as of 25 June  2026 (2026 -06-25)^[update], after the match against the United States.

No.	Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club
1	1GK	Mert Günok	(1989-03-01) 1 March 1989 (age 37)	37	0	Fenerbahçe
12	1GK	Altay Bayındır	(1998-04-14) 14 April 1998 (age 28)	12	0	Manchester United
23	1GK	Uğurcan Çakır	(1996-04-05) 5 April 1996 (age 30)	42	0	Galatasaray
2	2DF	Zeki Çelik (fifth captain)	(1997-02-17) 17 February 1997 (age 29)	63	3	Unattached
3	2DF	Merih Demiral (third captain)	(1998-03-05) 5 March 1998 (age 28)	65	6	Al-Ahli
4	2DF	Çağlar Söyüncü (fourth captain)	(1996-05-23) 23 May 1996 (age 30)	61	2	Fenerbahçe
13	2DF	Eren Elmalı	(2000-07-07) 7 July 2000 (age 26)	25	0	Galatasaray
14	2DF	Abdülkerim Bardakcı	(1994-09-07) 7 September 1994 (age 31)	30	2	Galatasaray
15	2DF	Ozan Kabak	(2000-03-25) 25 March 2000 (age 26)	31	2	TSG Hoffenheim
18	2DF	Mert Müldür	(1999-04-03) 3 April 1999 (age 27)	48	3	Fenerbahçe
20	2DF	Ferdi Kadıoğlu	(1999-10-07) 7 October 1999 (age 26)	32	2	Brighton & Hove Albion
22	2DF	Kaan Ayhan (vice-captain)	(1994-11-10) 10 November 1994 (age 31)	74	6	Galatasaray
25	2DF	Samet Akaydin	(1994-05-13) 13 May 1994 (age 32)	19	1	Çaykur Rizespor
5	3MF	Salih Özcan	(1998-01-11) 11 January 1998 (age 28)	32	1	Unattached
6	3MF	Orkun Kökçü	(2000-12-29) 29 December 2000 (age 25)	53	5	Beşiktaş
8	3MF	Arda Güler	(2005-02-25) 25 February 2005 (age 21)	33	7	Real Madrid
10	3MF	Hakan Çalhanoğlu (captain)	(1994-02-08) 8 February 1994 (age 32)	108	22	Inter Milan
11	3MF	Kenan Yıldız	(2005-05-04) 4 May 2005 (age 21)	31	5	Juventus
16	3MF	İsmail Yüksek	(1999-01-26) 26 January 1999 (age 27)	34	1	Fenerbahçe
17	3MF	İrfan Can Kahveci	(1995-07-15) 15 July 1995 (age 31)	48	6	Fenerbahçe
19	3MF	Yunus Akgün	(2000-07-07) 7 July 2000 (age 26)	21	4	Galatasaray
21	3MF	Barış Alper Yılmaz	(2000-05-23) 23 May 2000 (age 26)	38	4	Galatasaray
24	3MF	Oğuz Aydın	(2000-10-27) 27 October 2000 (age 25)	12	0	Fenerbahçe
7	4FW	Kerem Aktürkoğlu	(1998-10-21) 21 October 1998 (age 27)	54	15	Fenerbahçe
9	4FW	Deniz Gül	(2004-07-02) 2 July 2004 (age 22)	10	2	Porto
26	4FW	Can Uzun	(2005-11-11) 11 November 2005 (age 20)	8	1	Eintracht Frankfurt

Recent Call-ups

These players have also been called to the team in the last year.

Pos.	Player	Date of birth (age)	Caps	Goals	Club	Latest call-up
GK	Muhammed Şengezer	(1997-01-05) 5 January 1997 (age 29)	1	0	İstanbul Başakşehir	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
GK	Ersin Destanoğlu	(2001-01-01) 1 January 2001 (age 25)	0	0	Beşiktaş	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
GK	Berke Özer	(2000-05-25) 25 May 2000 (age 26)	2	0	Lille	v.  Georgia, 14 October 2025
DF	Yusuf Akçiçek	(2006-01-25) 25 January 2006 (age 20)	3	0	Al-Hilal	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
DF	Mustafa Eskihellaç	(1997-05-05) 5 May 1997 (age 29)	3	0	Trabzonspor	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
DF	Ahmetcan Kaplan	(2003-01-16) 16 January 2003 (age 23)	0	0	NEC	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
DF	Yasin Özcan	(2006-04-20) 20 April 2006 (age 20)	1	0	Beşiktaş	v.  Romania, 26 March 2026 TRA
DF	Yiğit Demir	(2004-08-02) 2 August 2004 (age 21)	0	0	Fenerbahçe	v.  Romania, 26 March 2026 TRA
DF	Hamza Güreler	(2006-04-10) 10 April 2006 (age 20)	0	0	İstanbul Başakşehir	v.  Romania, 26 March 2026 TRA
DF	Emirhan Topçu	(2000-10-11) 11 October 2000 (age 25)	2	0	Beşiktaş	v.  Spain, 18 November 2025
DF	Ayberk Karapo	(2004-07-21) 21 July 2004 (age 22)	0	0	Manisa	v.  Bulgaria, 15 November 2025 TRA
MF	Atakan Karazor	(1996-10-13) 13 October 1996 (age 29)	2	0	VfB Stuttgart	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
MF	Demir Ege Tıknaz	(2004-08-17) 17 August 2004 (age 21)	2	0	Beşiktaş	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
MF	Eyüp Aydın	(2005-08-02) 2 August 2005 (age 20)	0	0	Kasımpaşa	v.  Romania, 26 March 2026 TRA
MF	Baran Gezek	(2005-08-26) 26 August 2005 (age 20)	0	0	Eyüpspor	v.  Romania, 26 March 2026 TRA
MF	Barış Kalaycı	(2005-08-30) 30 August 2005 (age 20)	0	0	Fatih Karagümrük	v.  Romania, 26 March 2026 TRA
MF	İsak Vural	(2006-05-28) 28 May 2006 (age 20)	0	0	Pisa	v.  Spain, 18 November 2025
FW	Yusuf Sarı	(1998-11-20) 20 November 1998 (age 27)	6	1	İstanbul Başakşehir	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
FW	Aral Şimşir	(2002-06-19) 19 June 2002 (age 24)	1	0	Midtjylland	2026 FIFA World Cup PRE
FW	Semih Kılıçsoy	(2005-08-15) 15 August 2005 (age 20)	4	0	Cagliari	v.  Kosovo, 31 March 2026
FW	Ahmed Kutucu	(2000-03-01) 1 March 2000 (age 26)	4	0	Galatasaray	v.  Spain, 18 November 2025
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 and Achievements

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

Most Appearances for Turkey

Rank	Player	Caps	Goals	Career
1	Rüştü Reçber	120	0	1994–2012
2	Hakan Şükür	112	51	1992–2007
3	Hakan Çalhanoğlu	108	22	2013–present
4	Bülent Korkmaz	102	2	1990–2005
5	Emre Belözoğlu	101	9	2000–2019
6	Arda Turan	100	16	2006–2017
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 Goalscorers for Turkey

Rank	Player	Goals	Caps	Ratio	Career
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
	Hakan Çalhanoğlu	22	108	0.2	2013–present
5	Lefter Küçükandonyadis	21	46	0.46	1948–1963
	Cenk Tosun	21	53	0.4	2013–2024
7	Metin Oktay	19	36	0.53	1955–1968
	Cemil Turan	19	44	0.43	1969–1979
	Nihat Kahveci	19	69	0.28	2000–2010
10	Cengiz Ünder	16	51	0.31	2016–2023
	Arda Turan	16	100	0.16	2006–2017

Most Clean Sheets (Goalkeepers)

Rank	Player	Clean sheets	Caps	Ratio	Career
1	Rüştü Reçber	53	120	0.44	1994–2012
2	Volkan Demirel	20	63	0.32	2004–2014
3	Turgay Şeren	16	46	0.35	1950–1966
4	Volkan Babacan	15	35	0.43	2014–2018
5	Mert Günok	14	37	0.38	2012–present
	Uğurcan Çakır	14	41	0.34	2019–present
7	Engin İpekoğlu	10	32	0.31	1989–1999
8	Ömer Çatkıç	8	19	0.42	2000–2005
9	Ali Artuner	7	25	0.28	1965–1971
10	Sabri Dino	6	12	0.5	1969–1975
	Sinan Bolat	6	12	0.5	2011–2019

Milestone Goals for Turkey

As of November 18, 2025.

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
900th	18 November 2025	Deniz Gül	Spain	2–2

Tournament Records

FIFA World Cup History

FIFA World Cup record											Qualification record
Year	Result	Rank	M	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		M	W	D	L	GF	GA	Link
1930	Did not enter										Did not enter						Link
1934	Withdrew										Withdrew						Link
1938	Did not enter										Did not enter						Link
1950	Qualified but withdrew										1	1	0	0	7	0	Link
1954	Group stage	9th	3	1	0	2	10	11	Squad		3	1	1	1	4	6	Link
1958	Withdrew										Withdrew						Link
1962	Did not qualify										4	2	0	2	4	4	Link
1966											6	1	0	5	4	19	Link
1970											4	0	0	4	2	13	Link
1974											6	2	2	2	5	3	Link
1978											6	2	1	3	9	5	Link
1982											8	0	0	8	1	22	Link
1986											8	0	1	7	2	24	Link
1990											8	3	1	4	12	10	Link
1994											10	3	1	6	11	19	Link
1998											8	4	2	2	21	9	Link
2002	Third place	3rd	7	4	1	2	10	6	Squad		12	8	3	1	24	8	Link
2006	Did not qualify										14	7	5	2	27	13	Link
2010											10	4	3	3	13	10	Link
2014											10	5	1	4	16	9	Link
2018											10	4	3	3	14	13	Link
2022											11	6	3	2	28	19	Link
2026	Group stage	35th	3	1	0	2	3	5	Squad		8	6	1	1	19	12	Link
2030	To be determined
2034
Total:3/23	Third place	3rd	13	6	1	6	23	22	—		146	59	28	60	223	218	Link

Turkey's FIFA World Cup history
Year	Round	Score	Result	Date	Venue
1954	Group 2	Turkey 1–4  West Germany	Loss	17 June 1954	Bern, Switzerland
		Turkey 7–0  South Korea	Win	20 June 1954	Geneva, Switzerland
		Turkey 2–7  West Germany	Loss	23 June 1954	Zürich, Switzerland
2002	Group C	Turkey 1–2  Brazil	Loss	3 June 2002	Ulsan, South Korea
		Turkey 1–1  Costa Rica	Draw	9 June 2002	Incheon, South Korea
		Turkey 3–0  China	Win	13 June 2002	Seoul, South Korea
	Round of 16	Turkey 1–0  Japan	Win	18 June 2002	Rifu, Japan
	Quarter-final	Turkey 1–0 (aet)  Senegal	Win	22 June 2002	Osaka, Japan
	Semi-final	Turkey 0–1  Brazil	Loss	26 June 2002	Saitama, Japan
	Third place play-off	Turkey 3–2  South Korea	Win	29 June 2002	Daegu, South Korea
2026	Group D	Turkey 0–2  Australia	Loss	13 June 2026	Vancouver, Canada
		Turkey 0–1  Paraguay	Loss	19 June 2026	Santa Clara, United States
		Turkey 3–2  United States	Win	25 June 2026	Inglewood, United States

UEFA European Championship History

UEFA European Championship record											Qualification record
Year	Result	Rank	M	W	D	L	GF	GA	Squad		M	W	D	L	GF	GA	Link
1960	Did not qualify										2	1	0	1	2	3	Link
1964											2	0	0	2	0	7	Link
1968											6	1	2	3	3	8	Link
1972											6	2	1	3	5	13	Link
1976											6	2	2	2	5	10	Link
1980											6	3	1	2	5	5	Link
1984											8	3	1	4	8	16	Link
1988											6	0	2	4	2	16	Link
1992											6	0	0	6	1	14	Link
1996	Group stage	16th	3	0	0	3	0	5	Squad		8	4	3	1	16	8	Link
2000	Quarter-finals	6th	4	1	1	2	3	4	Squad		10	5	4	1	16	7	Link
2004	Did not qualify										10	6	2	2	19	8	Link
2008	Semi-finals	3rd	5	2	1	2	8	9	Squad		12	7	3	2	25	11	Link
2012	Did not qualify										12	5	3	4	13	14	Link
2016	Group stage	17th	3	1	0	2	2	4	Squad		10	5	3	2	14	9	Link
2020		24th	3	0	0	3	1	8	Squad		10	7	2	1	18	3	Link
2024	Quarter-finals	7th	5	3	0	2	8	8	Squad		8	5	2	1	14	7	Link
2028	To be determined										To be determined						Link
2032	Qualified as co-hosts										Qualified as co-hosts						Link
2036	To be determined										To be determined						Link
Total	Semi-finals	6/19	23	7	2	14	22	38			128	56	31	41	166	159	Link

Turkey's UEFA European Championship history
Year	Round	Score	Result	Date	Venue
1996	Group D	Turkey 0–1  Croatia	Loss	11 June 1996	Nottingham, England
		Turkey 0–1  Portugal	Loss	14 June 1996	Nottingham, England
		Turkey 0–3  Denmark	Loss	19 June 1996	Sheffield, England
2000	Group B	Turkey 1–2  Italy	Loss	11 June 2000	Arnhem, Netherlands
		Turkey 0–0  Sweden	Draw	15 June 2000	Eindhoven, Netherlands
		Turkey 2–0  Belgium	Win	19 June 2000	Brussels, Belgium
	Quarter-final	Turkey 0–2  Portugal	Loss	24 June 2000	Amsterdam, Netherlands
2008	Group A	Turkey 0–2  Portugal	Loss	7 June 2008	Geneva, Switzerland
		Turkey 2–1  Switzerland	Win	11 June 2008	Basel, Switzerland
		Turkey 3–2  Czech Republic	Win	15 June 2008	Geneva, Switzerland
	Quarter-final	Turkey 1–1 (3–1 p)  Croatia	Draw	20 June 2008	Wien, Austria
	Semi-final	Turkey 2–3  Germany	Loss	25 June 2008	Basel, Switzerland
2016	Group D	Turkey 0–1  Croatia	Loss	12 June 2016	Paris, France
		Turkey 0–3  Spain	Loss	17 June 2016	Nice, France
		Turkey 2–0  Czech Republic	Win	21 June 2016	Lens, France
2020	Group A	Turkey 0–3  Italy	Loss	11 June 2021	Rome, Italy
		Turkey 0–2  Wales	Loss	16 June 2021	Baku, Azerbaijan
		Turkey 1–3  Switzerland	Loss	20 June 2021	Baku, Azerbaijan
2024	Group F	Turkey 3–1  Georgia	Win	18 June 2024	Dortmund, Germany
		Turkey 0–3  Portugal	Loss	22 June 2024	Dortmund, Germany
		Turkey 2–1  Czech Republic	Win	26 June 2024	Hamburg, Germany
	Round of 16	Turkey 2–1  Austria	Win	2 July 2024	Leipzig, Germany
	Quarter-final	Turkey 1–2  Netherlands	Loss	6 July 2024	Berlin, Germany

UEFA Nations League Record

UEFA Nations League record
Season	Division	Group	M	W	D	L	GF	GA	P/R	RK
2018–19	B	2	4	1	0	3	4	7		22nd
2020–21	B	3	6	1	3	2	6	8		29th
2022–23	C	1	6	4	1	1	18	5		35th
2024–25	B	4	8	5	2	1	15	7		23rd
2026–27
Total			24	11	6	7	43	27	22nd

FIFA Confederations Cup Record

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 Football Record

For 1968–1988 see this page. Football at the Summer Olympics has been an under-23 tournament since 1992.

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	—

Mediterranean Games Record

Mediterranean Games record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1951	Did not participate
1955
1959	Runners-up	2nd	2	1	1	0	7	4
1963	Runners-up	2nd	5	3	1	1	12	7
1967	Fourth place	4th	5	2	1	2	5	7
1971	Third place	3rd	4	3	1	0	4	1
1975	Group stage	7th	4	0	2	2	1	5
1979	Group stage	5th	3	1	1	1	2	2
1983	Runners-up	2nd	4	2	0	2	4	5
1987	Third place	3rd	5	3	0	2	6	2
1991–present	See Turkey national under-20 football team
Total	Runners-up	8/10	32	15	7	10	41	33

Mediterranean Cup Record

Mediterranean Cup record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1949	Runners-up	2nd	3	2	0	1	7	6
1950–53	Fourth place	4th	3	6	1	1	4	4
1953–58	Fourth place	4th	8	2	3	3	7	7
Total	Runners-up	3/3	14	10	4	5	18	17

Balkan Cup Record

Balkan Cup record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1929–31	Did not participate
1931	Runners-up	2nd	2	1	0	1	3	5
1932	Did not participate
1933
1934–35
1935
1936
1946
1947
1948
1973–76	Semi-finals	4th	2	1	0	1	6	7
1977–80	Group stage	3rd	4	1	1	2	4	8
Total	Runners-up	3/12	8	3	1	4	13	20

ECO Cup Record

ECO Cup record
Year	Result	Position	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA
1965	Runners-up	2nd	2	1	1	0	3	1
1967	Champions	1st	4	2	2	0	8	4
1969	Champions	1st	4	2	2	0	8	2
1970	Runners-up	2nd	3	2	1	0	4	2
1974	Champions	1st	3	2	1	0	3	2
1993	Did not participate
Total	3 titles	5/6	16	9	7	0	26	11

Head-to-Head Records Against Other Teams

This table shows Turkey's all-time international record against different opponents, as of 25 June  2026 (2026 -06-25)^[update]       Positive record
      Neutral record
      Negative record

Opponents	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
Albania	12	6	2	4	13	14	-1
Algeria	3	1	0	2	4	2	+2
Andorra	4	4	0	0	10	0	+10
Angola	1	1	0	0	3	2	+1
Armenia	4	3	1	0	7	2	+5
Australia	3	2	0	1	4	3	+1
Austria	18	8	1	9	25	25	0
Azerbaijan	8	6	1	1	11	3	+8
Belarus	4	2	1	1	8	7	+1
Belgium	11	3	5	3	17	18	-1
Bosnia and Herzegovina	6	2	2	2	6	7	-1
Brazil	6	0	2	4	3	10	-7
Bulgaria	29	9	6	14	42	52	-10
Cameroon	1	0	0	1	0	1	-1
Canada	2	2	0	0	6	1	+5
Chile	3	2	1	0	3	0	+3
China	2	2	0	0	7	0	+7
Colombia	1	1	0	0	2	1	+1
Costa Rica	1	0	1	0	1	1	0
Croatia	12	2	6	4	11	15	-4
Czech Republic	22	7	3	12	22	46	-24
Denmark	10	2	5	3	9	12	-3
East Germany	5	3	1	1	10	5	+5
Ecuador	1	0	0	1	0	1	-1
Egypt	6	4	0	2	13	10	+3
England	11	0	2	9	1	33	-32
Estonia	8	5	3	0	17	4	+13
Ethiopia	2	1	1	0	3	0	+3
Faroe Islands	3	1	1	1	6	3	+3
Finland	15	5	4	6	24	22	+2
France	6	1	1	4	5	13	-8
Georgia	9	7	1	1	26	10	+16
Germany	22	4	4	14	16	52	-36
Ghana	2	0	2	0	3	3	0
Gibraltar	2	2	0	0	9	0	+9
Greece	14	9	2	3	22	11	+11
Guinea	1	0	1	0	0	0	0
Honduras	3	3	0	0	5	0	+5
Hungary	20	7	2	11	26	36	-10
Iceland	15	4	3	8	18	26	-8
Iran	7	5	2	0	14	2	+12
Iraq	3	2	1	0	8	1	+7
Israel	6	4	0	2	9	12	-3
Italy	16	0	5	11	10	29	-19
Ivory Coast	1	0	1	0	1	1	0
Japan	3	1	0	2	3	5	-2
Kazakhstan	6	6	0	0	19	2	+17
Kosovo	4	4	0	0	13	2	+11
Latvia	10	4	5	1	22	15	+7
Libya	2	0	1	1	2	3	-1
Liechtenstein	2	2	0	0	9	0	+9
Lithuania	2	2	0	0	8	0	+8
Luxembourg	9	7	1	1	18	9	+9
Malaysia	1	1	0	0	3	0	+3
Malta	6	5	1	0	15	4	+11
Moldova	13	11	2	0	35	3	+32
Montenegro	6	3	2	1	9	8	+1
Mexico	1	0	0	1	0	1	-1
Netherlands	15	4	4	7	15	23	-8
New Zealand	1	1	0	0	2	1	+1
Macedonia	9	6	2	1	18	9	+9
Northern Ireland	12	5	2	5	12	12	0
Norway	11	5	3	3	15	16	-1
Pakistan	5	4	1	0	20	10	+10
Paraguay	2	0	1	1	0	1	-1
Poland	18	3	3	12	13	41	-28
Portugal	10	2	0	8	9	22	-13
Qatar	1	1	0	0	2	1	+1
Republic of Ireland	14	3	6	5	16	27	-11
Romania	28	7	7	14	26	49	-23
Russia	23	4	3	16	12	39	-27
San Marino	4	3	1	0	16	1	+15
Saudi Arabia	3	3	0	0	6	1	+5
Scotland	2	2	0	0	4	2	+2
Senegal	1	1	0	0	1	0	+1
Slovakia	6	4	1	1	8	3	+5
Slovenia	2	1	0	1	1	2	-1
South Africa	1	0	0	1	0	2	-2
South Korea	7	4	2	1	13	4	+9
Spain	13	1	5	7	7	25	-18
Serbia	12	1	5	6	16	28	-12
Sweden	12	5	4	3	15	14	+1
Switzerland	16	8	3	5	22	23	-1
Syria	1	1	0	0	7	0	+7
Tunisia	5	1	4	0	6	3	+3
Ukraine	9	4	3	2	11	9	+2
United States	6	3	1	2	10	9	+1
Uruguay	1	0	0	1	2	3	-1
Uzbekistan	1	1	0	0	2	0	+2
Venezuela	1	1	0	0	2	1	+1
Wales	13	5	4	4	14	14	0
Total (93)	658	264	151	243	919	935	-16

Team Honours and Awards

Global Competitions

• FIFA World Cup
  • Third place (1): 2002
• FIFA Confederations Cup
  • Third place (1): 2003

Continental Competitions

• UEFA European Championship
  • Semi-finalist: 2008

Regional Competitions

• Balkan Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 1931
• Mediterranean Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 1949
• Islamic Games
  • Silver medal (1): 1980

Friendly Tournaments

• ECO Cup
  • Champions (3): 1967, 1969, 1974
  • Runners-up (2): 1965, 1970

Summary of Major Honours

Competition				Total
FIFA World Cup	0	0	1	1
FIFA Confederations Cup	0	0	1	1
Total	0	0	2	2

Special Recognition

In 2002, the national team received the Turkish "State Medal of Distinguished Service". This was for their amazing third-place finish at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. All the team members, coaches, and officials were given 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