Top 5 Most Popular Turkish Soccer Teams
This is the list of the biggest, and most famous Turkish football clubs based on their fan base:
Team NameNumber of Fans (estimate)
Galatasaray40%
Fenerbahçe35%
Beşiktaş20%
TrabzonsporHuge fans in the Black Sea region
BursasporStrong fan base in Bursa
READ ALSO: Top 10 Best Galatasaray Players Of All Time
1. Galatasaray
Galatasaray Spor Kulübü, known as Galatasaray, is one of the most famous and successful soccer teams in Turkey. The club has one of the largest and most dedicated fan bases in Turkey.
However, the team was founded in October 1905 by Ali Sami Yen and some students from Galatasaray High School in Istanbul. From the very beginning, Galatasaray has been more than just a soccer team.
It is a huge sports institution in Turkey, involved in different sports like basketball and volleyball, but soccer remains its main focus.
Galatasaray was created to promote soccer among Turkish youth and to compete against teams made up of non-Turkish players.
The name “Galatasaray” comes from Galatasaray High School, which itself has a long history dating back to 1481 when it was known as the Galata Palace Imperial School.
However, the first match Galatasaray played was against Cadi-Keuy FC, and Galatasaray won 2-0. This victory was the start of a long and successful journey in Turkish soccer.
In the early years, Galatasaray participated in local competitions and became a strong force in Turkish soccer. The club’s first major achievement was in 1908 when it won the Istanbul League.
This league was a great competition before the Turkish Süper Lig, the top soccer league in Turkey, was created. Over the years, Galatasaray has consistently been one of the top teams in Turkey.
The club has won the Turkish Süper Lig record 24 times. This makes Galatasaray the most successful team in the history of the league. Besides the Süper Lig, Galatasaray has also won the Turkish Cup 18 times and the Turkish Super Cup 17 times.
These achievements make Galatasaray the most decorated soccer club in Turkey. The club’s most successful period was in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
During this time, Galatasaray achieved something no other Turkish team had done before. In the 1999-2000 season, Galatasaray became the first Turkish club to win a major European trophy, the UEFA Cup, by defeating the English team Arsenal in the final.
This victory was followed by another great achievement when Galatasaray won the UEFA Super Cup against the Spanish giants Real Madrid.
These wins put Galatasaray on the map as a strong team in European soccer. Galatasaray has a long history of competing in European soccer tournaments.
The club first entered a European competition in 1956 when it took part in the European Cup, now known as the UEFA Champions League. And then, Galatasaray has reached the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League several times.
The highlight of Galatasaray’s European success was in 2000 when the club won both the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup. This made Galatasaray the first and only Turkish club to win these prestigious European trophies.
Galatasaray’s success in Europe has made its fans proud and has attracted new supporters from both Turkey and other countries.
When Galatasaray plays in European competitions, the matches are always highly anticipated, and they attract large crowds and a lot of media attention.
Galatasaray has intense rivalries with two other top Turkish soccer teams: Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş. These three teams are known as the “Big Three” of Turkish soccer.
The matches between these teams, especially the ones between Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe, are known as the “Intercontinental Derby.” These games are some of the most exciting and heated matches in Turkish soccer.
2. Fenerbahçe
Fenerbahçe is one of the most popular soccer teams in Turkey. The club is based in Kadıköy, Istanbul, and is a part of the larger Fenerbahçe S.K. sports club.
As of 2024, Fenerbahçe has a massive fan base, with about 32% of football fans in Turkey supporting the club. However, Fenerbahçe was founded in 1907 by three local men named Ziya Songülen, Ayetullah Bey, and Necip Okaner.
The club got its name from the Fenerbahçe neighborhood in Istanbul, which means “lighthouse garden” in Turkish. Fenerbahçe has a rich history of success in Turkish football.
Domestically, they have won 28 league titles, along with seven Turkish Cups. They also hold the joint record for the longest uninterrupted streak in the top flight of Turkish football and have earned the most points in Süper Lig history.
Fenerbahçe has also achieved success in international football. They were the first Turkish club to win a non-domestic trophy, the Balkans Cup.
The club is also one of the three major teams in Turkey, alongside Beşiktaş and Galatasaray, that has never been relegated from the Süper Lig. Fenerbahçe is known for its large and passionate fan base, not only in Turkey but also around the world.
Some of the main supporter groups include Genç Fenerbahçeliler, which is an ultras group, 1907 ÜNİFEB, which is made up of university youth, and 1907 Fenerbahçe, which is a non-governmental organization.
These groups play a major part in creating a vibrant atmosphere during matches and in supporting the team through thick and thin. Fenerbahçe has some intense rivalries with other Turkish football clubs.
The most famous rivalry is with Galatasaray, their neighbor, which is known as the Intercontinental Derby and is one of the most anticipated games in Turkish football.
Fenerbahçe also has a rivalry with Beşiktaş, and the matches between these two teams are called the Beşiktaş-Fenerbahçe derby.
READ ALSO: Top 10 Most Famous Turkish Football Players
3. Beşiktaş
Beşiktaş is one of the most famous and oldest sports clubs in Turkey. It was founded in 1903 in the Beşiktaş district of Istanbul.
This club is part of the “Big Three” in Turkish football, along with Galatasaray and Fenerbahçe. Beşiktaş has a very passionate group of fans who are a big part of the club’s identity.
However, the team started as a gymnastics club, which is why its full name includes “Jimnastik Kulübü,” meaning gymnastics club in Turkish.
It was the first registered sports club in Turkey and has a long history not only in football but also in other sports. The football team has always played in the top division and has never been relegated.
In the beginning, Beşiktaş played in the Istanbul Football League, and they became one of the top teams, winning many titles. The club’s first big win was in 1924 when they won the Istanbul Football League.
After that, Beşiktaş continued to grow and won its first Turkish Championship in 1934. Beşiktaş has a very impressive record in Turkish football.
They have won the Turkish Süper Lig title 16 times and the Turkish Cup 9 times. One of the club’s best periods was in the early 1990s when Gordon Milne was the manager.
During this time, Beşiktaş won three league titles in a row from 1989 to 1992. This period is remembered for the trio of players Metin Tekin, Ali Gültiken, and Feyyaz Uçar, who were known as “MAF.”
These players were key to the club’s success during that time. Beşiktaş has also done well in European competitions. They have played in the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League many times.
One of their best performances in Europe was in the 2002-03 UEFA Cup when they reached the quarter-finals. In recent years, Beşiktaş has remained a strong team in Turkish football.
They won the Süper Lig title in the 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons under the management of Şenol Güneş, who is a well-respected figure in the club.
During these seasons, Beşiktaş became the first Turkish club to advance to the UEFA Champions League knockout phase without losing a single game.
The most recent league title for Beşiktaş was in the 2020-21 season. The team was led by Sergen Yalçın, a former player who is considered a club legend.
4. Trabzonspor
Trabzonspor is a famous Turkish soccer team based in the city of Trabzon. The club was founded in 1967 when several local clubs decided to merge.
Since then, Trabzonspor has grown into one of the most successful soccer teams in Turkey. The team has won the Süper Lig seven times, making Trabzonspor one of the most decorated clubs in the country.
Trabzonspor’s journey to success started in the 1975–76 season when they won their first championship title. This victory was the beginning of a golden era for the club as they went on to win three more championships in a row from 1978–79 to 1980–81.
Another title followed in the 1983–84 season. After this period of success, the team went through a long 38-year period without winning the league.
However, this drought ended in the 2021–22 season when Trabzonspor secured the championship again. One of the most notable moments in Trabzonspor’s history occurred in the 2010–11 season.
The team finished the season with the same number of points as Fenerbahçe, one of Turkey’s biggest teams. Yet, Trabzonspor lost the title to Fenerbahçe due to a lower goal difference.
This season became controversial when a match-fixing scandal came to light. As a result, UEFA banned Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş from European competitions in 2013.
Despite the scandal, in 2021, all legal charges were dropped against Fenerbahçe, allowing them to keep their title from the 2010–11 season.
Trabzonspor’s rivalry with the big teams from Istanbul, such as Fenerbahçe, Galatasaray, and Beşiktaş, is fierce. After the 2010–11 match-fixing scandal, this rivalry became even more intense. One of the most talked-about incidents in Turkish soccer history happened in October 2015.
Trabzonspor’s president at the time, Ibrahim Hacıosmanoğlu, made headlines worldwide when he locked referees in the locker room after they didn’t award a penalty to Trabzonspor in a match against Gaziantepspor. The situation was so serious that even the Turkish president had to step in to negotiate the release of the referees.
Another notable incident happened in February 2016 when Trabzonspor player Salih Dursun was sent off during a match. Dursun picked up the referee’s red card, which had just been shown to his teammate Luis Cavanda, and showed it to the referee in protest.
This action made Dursun a hero among Trabzonspor fans, who saw his actions as standing up against what they felt was unfair treatment of their team.
Trabzonspor’s dominance in Turkish soccer lasted until the mid-1980s when they began to lose some of their best players to other teams that could offer higher wages.
Despite these challenges, Trabzonspor managed to fight their way back to the top by the mid-90s. The 1995–96 season was painful for Trabzonspor fans.
The team was leading the league and looked set to win the title, but they lost the last match of the season, which cost them the championship.
The 2010–11 season was another heartbreaking one for Trabzonspor. After losing the league to Fenerbahçe by just four goals, the match-fixing scandal surfaced.
Even though UEFA banned Fenerbahçe from European competitions, the Turkish government later dropped all charges against them, leaving Trabzonspor without the title they felt they deserved.
The 2021–22 season was a historic one for Trabzonspor as they finally won the Turkish league title after 38 years. The team secured the championship with a 2–2 draw against Antalyaspor on April 30, 2022. This victory was a moment of great joy for Trabzonspor’s loyal fans.
In the 2022–23 season, Trabzonspor competed in different tournaments, including the domestic league, Turkish Cup, Turkish Super Cup, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, and UEFA Europa Conference League. Despite their efforts, they finished the season in 6th place in the Süper Lig.
READ ALSO: Who Is The Owner Of Fenerbahçe SK
5. Bursaspor
Bursaspor, also known as Bursaspor Kulübü Derneği, is one of the most popular soccer teams in Turkey. The club is based in the city of Bursa and was established on June 1, 1963.
Bursaspor is known for its rich history, passionate fans, and the green and white colors that represent the team. The team is often called “The Green Crocodiles” because of these colors.
Bursaspor was formed by merging several smaller clubs from Bursa, including Acar İdman Yurdu, Akınspor, İstiklal, Pınarspor, and Çelikspor.
And, the club started playing in the Turkish football league system in the 1963-64 season, beginning in the 2. Lig, which is the second tier of Turkish football.
Bursaspor then earned a promotion to the Süper Lig after finishing first in the 2. Lig during the 1966-67 season. This promotion was a big achievement, with Bursaspor winning 19 out of 30 matches that season.
Bursaspor’s most famous achievement came in the 2009-10 season when the team won the Süper Lig title. This victory was historic because Bursaspor became only the second team outside of Istanbul to win the Turkish championship, with Trabzonspor being the first.
Bursaspor finished that season with 75 points, just one point ahead of Fenerbahçe. In addition to their league title, Bursaspor has also won the Turkish Cup once, in 1986, and the Prime Minister’s Cup twice.
The club has also had some success in European competitions, including reaching the quarter-finals of the European Cup Winners’ Cup in the 1974-75 season.
In recent years, Bursaspor has faced some tough challenges. The club has had financial problems that have affected its performance on the field.
In the 2018-19 season, Bursaspor was relegated to the TFF First League, which is the second tier of Turkish football. This was a big setback for the club, which had been a strong competitor in the Süper Lig for many years.
Kenneth is a an avid soccer follower, fan and writer. He is a consistent follower of the sport and is a fan of Chelsea FC.
