Turkish players in Champions League history: the top scorers and most-capped names
Hakan Şükür and Burak Yılmaz share top spot among Turkish scorers in Champions League history with 13 goals each, while Hakan Çalhanoğlu leads the appearance chart with 65.
The rankings of Turkish players by goals and appearances in UEFA Champions League history bring together memorable names who have competed at the very highest level of European football across different eras. Hakan Şükür and Burak Yılmaz share top spot as the most prolific Turkish players with 13 goals apiece, while Hakan Çalhanoğlu, with 65 matches, is the Turkish player with the most appearances in the Champions League. Real Madrid's Arda Güler and Galatasaray's Yunus Akgün have also taken their places on the all-time list after moving on to 3 goals in the competition.
According to the competition's all-time records, Hakan Şükür scored 13 goals in 42 matches in Galatasaray colours, while Burak Yılmaz reached the same tally in 40 games. Behind the two legendary strikers come Hakan Çalhanoğlu and Metin Oktay with 12 goals each. The contrast in how many matches it took them to get there is striking: Çalhanoğlu needed 65 games to reach 12 goals, whereas Galatasaray great Metin Oktay managed the same figure in just 13.
Joint third in the scoring chart, Hakan Çalhanoğlu sits top among Turkish players for appearances. He is followed by former Galatasaray captain Bülent Korkmaz on 61 matches. Former Galatasaray players Arif Erdem (55), Ergün Penbe (51) and Hasan Şaş (47) complete the top five for appearances.
Among active players, Real Madrid's Arda Güler and Galatasaray's Yunus Akgün have also moved on to 3 Champions League goals. Arda Güler has found the net 3 times in 23 Champions League appearances, while Yunus Akgün has reached the same tally in 13 matches.