Who is the best player in Turkey national team history?

The Crescent and Stars have produced some of European football's most technically gifted players, reaching the World Cup semi-final in 2002 and consistently competing at the top of UEFA tournaments. Who is Turkey's greatest?

1

Hakan Şükür

Turkey's all-time leading scorer and a powerful, mobile striker who scored the fastest goal in World Cup history (11 seconds) and starred at Inter Milan, Parma, and Galatasaray.

2

Arda Turan

Technically brilliant attacking midfielder who won La Liga with Atletico Madrid and was considered one of the best players in Europe during his peak, Turkey's finest modern talent.

3

Rüştü Reçber

Eccentric, flamboyant goalkeeper with distinctive war paint who was outstanding during Turkey's 2002 World Cup semi-final run, earning a place among the tournament's very best keepers.

4

Emre Belözoğlu

Tenacious, technically gifted central midfielder who starred at Newcastle United and Inter Milan, a key creative presence and the quarterback of Turkey's 2002 World Cup squad.

5

Hasan Şaş

Pacy, tricky winger who was one of Turkey's most exciting players of the early 2000s, delivering moments of brilliance during their historic World Cup semi-final campaign.

6

Tuncay Şanlı

Technical, versatile forward who excelled in the Premier League at Middlesbrough and Stoke City, providing consistent international scoring for Turkey across multiple tournaments.

7

Burak Yılmaz

Physical, powerful striker who scored decisive goals for Turkey at Euro 2020 and enjoyed a highly productive career at Galatasaray and Trabzonspor before a late stint at Lille in Ligue 1.

8

Cengiz Ünder

Explosive, technically gifted winger who burst onto the scene at Roma and has carried Turkey's attacking hopes for a generation with his direct running and creative instincts.

9

Volkan Demirel

Commanding, technically excellent goalkeeper and fan favourite at Fenerbahçe who was Turkey's most reliable shot-stopper across nearly a decade of consistent international service.

10

İlhan Mansız

Super-sub extraordinaire at the 2002 World Cup, the forward who came off the bench to score vital goals against Senegal and South Korea in Turkey's historic run to the semi-finals.

11

Alpay Özalan

Commanding, powerful centre-back who starred for Aston Villa in the Premier League and was a cornerstone of Turkey's defensive structure during their 2002 golden generation.

12

Oğuz Çetin

Elegant, technically refined midfielder from the 1980s and 90s who was Turkey's most gifted player of his era, inspiring a generation before the modern breakthrough to the World Cup.

13

Kenan Yıldız

Juventus' highly-rated young attacking midfielder who became one of Turkey's most exciting prospects, representing the country at Euro 2024 and showing tremendous technical maturity.

14

Hami Mandıralı

Prolific scorer and powerful striker from the late 1990s who was one of Turkey's most feared forwards domestically and in European competition before the 2002 World Cup era.