# 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?

*By YPB Team · Published May 22, 2026 · https://youpick.best/ranking/who-is-the-best-player-in-turkey-national-team-history*

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## Current results (no votes yet)

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.

Tags: sports, football, players, legends, turkey, national teams