From the brink of quitting to European stardom
In short: At age 16, Kerem Aktürkoğlu was already facing a professional dead end. After four years of being sidelined by a rigid hierarchy at İstanbul Başakşehir, he nearly walked away from football entirely. Today, the Turkish winger is a decorated champion and a key figure in European competition.
The path to professional success is rarely linear. For Aktürkoğlu, the early years were defined by stagnation. Despite signing his first professional contract with İstanbul Başakşehir in 2015, he failed to make a single appearance during a four-year tenure. He later described this period as a time when four years of his life were stolen by a rigid club hierarchy, a frustration that nearly led him to abandon the sport entirely until his family encouraged him to persevere.
His career trajectory shifted dramatically through a series of strategic moves in the Turkish lower leagues. After a loan to Bodrumspor in 2016, he joined Karacabey Belediyespor in 2017 and later 24 Erzincanspor in 2019, where he scored 20 goals in 34 matches. This prolific form paved the way for a free transfer to Galatasaray in September 2020, where he evolved from a squad player into a club leader.
At Galatasaray, Aktürkoğlu became a dominant force, earning the Süper Lig Player of the Season title after recording 13 goals and 13 assists in the 2021–22 campaign. He contributed to back-to-back league titles in 2023 and 2024, notably helping the club reach a record 102 points. His success eventually earned him a €12 million move to Benfica in September 2024, where he quickly broke records by matching the club's highest goal and assist contributions in his first seven matches.
Beyond his club success, he has become a fixture for the Turkish national team. After making his senior debut in 2021 against Azerbaijan, he has represented his country in major tournaments, including the UEFA Euro 2024, where he scored in the opening match against Georgia.
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- Summary by Intellect · source: Kerem Aktürkoğlu
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