Turkiye National Soccer Team Profile

View the latest Turkiye stats, key players, odds, history and more.

Officially nicknamed "Ay-Yıldızlılar" (The Crescent-Stars), the Turkiye National Team is controlled by the Turkish Football Federation, the governing body for soccer in Turkey.

The Crescent-Stars earned qualification to the 2026 World Cup through the UEFA Play-Offs, and have been drawn into Group D with the United States, Australia, and Paraguay.

Inter Milan's Hakan Calhanoglu is one of the main veterans on the roster, and is expected to captain the Turkish team this summer.

Front Office & Coaching Staff

Head Coach	Vincenzo Montella
Director of Football (Head of National Teams)	Turkish Football Federation
Chief Football Officer	Turkish Football Federation

Top Active Players

Player	Position	Club
Hakan Calhanoglu	Midfield	Inter Milan
Arda Guler	Midfield	Real Madrid
Kenan Yildiz	Midfield	Juventus
Orkun Kokcu	Midfield	Benfica
Merih Demiral	Defender	Al-Ahli
Kerem Akturkoglu	Forward	Galatasaray
Enes Unal	Forward	Bournemouth
Caglar Soyuncu	Defender	Fenerbahce

All-Time Leaders

CAPS	Rustu Recber (120)
Goals	Hakan Sukur (51)
Clean Sheets	Rustu Recber (57)

Team History

The Turkiye National Soccer Team was founded in 1923, and joined FIFA in 1923. The Crescent-Stars qualified for their first ever FIFA World Cup in 1954, and achieved their highest finish (third place) in 2002.

2026 will be the nations third time qualifying for the prestigious international tournament.

World Cup Appearances	2
Current FIFA Rank	25
Highest FIFA Rank	5 (2004)
Lowest FIFA Rank	67 (1993)
Largest Victory	7-0 vs. South Korea (1954)
Largest Defeat	0-8 vs. England (1984, 1987)

Read the latest World Cup news on site.

Read Australia's Team Profile on site.

Read Paraguay's Team Profile on site.