About Turkey

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) was established on 23 April 1923 — the same date as the proclamation of the Turkish Republic — joining FIFA immediately and affiliating with UEFA in 1962. The federation governs domestic football through an eight-tiered league system and manages the Turkish national team. Headquartered in Istanbul, the TFF organised a nationwide championship as early as 1924 and introduced the Millî Küme (national league) in 1937.

Turkey's finest hour came at the 2002 FIFA World Cup in South Korea and Japan, where the national team reached the semi-finals and ultimately finished third — the best result in Turkish football history. Hakan Şükür scored the fastest goal in World Cup history (11 seconds) in the third-place play-off against South Korea. The squad, featuring Rüştü Reçber in goal and a generation of players competing at top European clubs, captured the imagination of the football world.

Istanbul has established itself as a major venue for European finals: the city hosted the UEFA Champions League Finals in 2005 and 2023, and the UEFA Cup Final in 2009. Turkey will co-host UEFA Euro 2032 alongside Italy after five unsuccessful previous bids — a landmark achievement for Turkish football infrastructure. However, the federation has also faced significant controversies, including a widespread match-fixing investigation in 2011 and a 2025 referee betting scandal involving the majority of active referees.