Türkiye

Türkiye

The Türkiye national football team, known as the Crescent-Stars, is governed by the Turkish Football Federation, established in 1923. Türkiye's finest hour came at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan, where they finished in an outstanding third place, defeating South Korea in the third-place play-off. Star striker Hakan Sükür scored the fastest goal in World Cup history, just 11 seconds into that match. Türkiye reached the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2008 and more recently achieved a remarkable run to the quarter-finals of UEFA Euro 2024, showing the team's continued competitiveness. Notable players include Rüştü Reçber, Emre Belözoğlu, and modern stars Hakan Calhanoglu and Arda Güler, who plays for Real Madrid.