Süper Lig

Lore & Background

Football in Turkey stems back to the late 19th century, when Englishmen brought the game while living in Salonica. The first league competition was the Istanbul Football League in 1904–05. The first national champion was decided via the Turkish Football Championship (1924–1951). The National Division (Millî Küme) was the first national league competition, starting in 1937. In 1952 the TFF introduced professionalism. The Federation Cup, established in 1956, was the first professional national football league and predecessor to the Millî Lig. The first Süper Lig season took place in 1959, with Fenerbahçe as champions. The league was rebranded as Süper Lig after the creation of a new second division in 2001. On 12 December 2023, all league games were suspended indefinitely after an incident during a match between MKE Ankaragücü and Caykur Rizespor; matches resumed on 19 December.

In Their Own Story

The stadium lights hum to life over Istanbul. You've loaded a new Career Mode save, and the cursor hovers over the Süper Lig crest before you select Fenerbahçe. The broadcast intro plays: a sweeping aerial shot of the Bosphorus, the crowd noise swelling as the camera dives into the stands. Two rows of scarves—yellow and navy—wave in unison. The starting XI slides across the bottom of the screen, and the first whistle cracks through the noise. It's matchday one, and the whole city is watching.

Reader's Guide

The number of clubs in the Süper Lig has varied over time. As of 2025–present, there are 18 clubs. During the course of the season (from August to May) each club plays the others twice (a double round-robin system), once at home and once away. The number of games per team depends on the number of clubs; for example, with 20 clubs each plays 38 games. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned champion. The three lowest placed teams are relegated to the 1. Lig, and the top two teams from the 1. Lig together with the winner of play-offs involving the third to seventh placed 1. Lig clubs are promoted. The champions and runners-up qualify for the second qualifying round of the Champions League. The third place and the Turkish Cup winners qualify for the second qualifying round of the Europa Conference League.

Did You Know?

• The Süper Lig is currently 9th in the UEFA coefficient ranking of leagues based on club performances in European competitions over the last five years.
• The first 'Gol Kralı' (top scorer) was Metin Oktay.
• The Süper Lig is home of the Fenerbahçe–Galatasaray derby, the most watched football game in Turkey.
• Beşiktaş won both editions of the Federation Cup but could not participate in the 1957–58 European Cup because the TFF failed to register their name in time.
• The league's TV rights income has been the sixth highest in Europe.