The Best Istanbul Football Teams

*Galatasaray

Galatasaray Istanbul football club is the most successful Turkish team. It was created in October 1906 by the young university student Ali Sami Yen, an Albanian-Turkish sports player. From 1964 until 2010 the official Galatasaray Stadium was named after him: Ali Sami Yen Stadium.

Galatasaray is based in Western Istanbul, in Karaköy, Beyoğlu district, and it is the only Turkish football team that has won high-level UEFA competitions. The years 1999 and 2000 were their most lucky years: the club won the UEFA Cup and the UEFA Super Cup internationally, and nationally it achieved the first prices of the Turkish Süper Lig and the Turkish Cup.

*Besiktas

Beşiktaş Jimnastik Kulübü is located, as its name indicates, in the Besiktas district of Istanbul. It was founded in 1903, being the first official sports club of Turkey, for which it was granted the chance to include the Turkish flag in its logo.

It has won 21 national leagues: 16 Turkish Süper Lig, 3 Turkish National Divisions and 2 Turkish Football Championships Internationally it reached the final quarters of the 32nd season of the European Cup in 1986–87 and the quarter finals of the UEFA Europa League in 2002-2003 and 2016-2017.

Beşiktaş is the winner of the 2020-2021 Turkish Cup and Süper Lig.

*Fenerbahce

Also known as “Fener” (“The Beacon of Light”) and “Sarı Kanaryalar” (“Yellow Canaries”) by their fans, it is the second most popular football team in Istanbul and Turkey. The team was founded in 1907 by Ziya Songülen, Ayetullah Bey and Necip Okaner. Their logo consists of five colours: White, which represents purity, red; love to the club and to Turkey; blue is linked to nobility, yellow represents the envy and jealousy of their rivals and the green leaf shows force, power and success.

Same as Galatasaray, they have also played in the Turkish Super League, Turkish Cup and UEFA Europa League. Their Stadium is Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, located in the Eastern side of Istanbul, in Kadiköy.

Their biggest accomplishments have been winning 19 Turkish Super Leagues, 6 Turkish Cups, 9 Turkish Super Cups and 28 Turkish championships, being the Turkish team that has achieved most championship victories. Fener also won the first non-Turkish football competition: The Balkans Cup in 1968.