# Who is the best player in Turkey national football team history?

> Rank the greatest players in Turkish football history — from Hakan Şükür's 11-second World Cup record and the 2002 semi-final generation to Arda Turan's Atletico Madrid prime.

*By YPB Team · Published May 23, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-best-player-in-turkey-national-football-team-history*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

1. **Hakan Şükür**
   Turkey's all-time top scorer with 51 international goals, a powerful and prolific striker who scored the fastest goal in World Cup history — 11 seconds against South Korea in 2002.
2. **Rüştü Reçber**
   Turkey's greatest ever goalkeeper and a hero of the 2002 World Cup where his heroics helped the nation reach third place, also a legendary figure at Fenerbahçe over many years.
3. **Arda Turan**
   Creative and technically brilliant attacking midfielder who was one of Atletico Madrid's most important players under Diego Simeone before a stint at Barcelona, Turkey's most gifted modern player.
4. **Emre Belözoğlu**
   Intelligent and technically gifted central midfielder who had a distinguished career at Inter Milan, Newcastle and Fenerbahçe, earning over 100 caps and captaining Turkey with distinction.
5. **Yıldıray Baştürk**
   Supremely gifted playmaker who starred in the Bundesliga at Bayer Leverkusen and VfB Stuttgart, regarded as one of the most naturally talented Turkish players of his generation.
6. **Hasan Şaş**
   Industrious and energetic winger who was an essential component of Turkey's remarkable 2002 World Cup third-place squad and had a long career at Galatasaray and Trabzonspor.
7. **Tuncay Şanlı**
   Dynamic and versatile forward who scored important goals for Turkey in World Cup qualifiers and played at a high level in the Premier League with Middlesbrough and Stoke City.
8. **Alpay Özalan**
   Commanding and physically imposing central defender who earned over 90 caps for Turkey, was part of the 2002 World Cup squad and had stints at Fenerbahçe and Aston Villa.
9. **Volkan Demirel**
   Commanding and reliable goalkeeper who was a Fenerbahçe stalwart and represented Turkey at the Euro 2008 tournament, where the country reached the semi-finals in dramatic fashion.
10. **Hamza Hamzaoğlu**
   Solid and dependable central midfielder who was a consistent presence in Turkey's squads through the late 1990s and early 2000s, serving as a reliable ball-winner and captain.
11. **Ümit Davala**
   Athletic and committed right back who was a crucial member of Turkey's historic 2002 World Cup squad, known for his energy, discipline and willingness to contribute going forward.

Tags: europe, sports, football, players