Turkish · Adapazarı, Turkey · Born 1 September 1971Turkey's greatest footballer and the scorer of the fastest goal in World Cup history — Hakan Şükür's strike after 11 seconds against South Korea in the 2002 World Cup third-place play-off remains the record. 51 goals in 112 Turkey internationals across 14 years made him his country's all-time leading scorer and the most important player in Turkish football's golden generation that reached third place in the 2002 World Cup and produced players of genuine European quality for the first time. His career at Galatasaray, Inter Milan, Parma and Blackburn Rovers demonstrated consistent ability to compete at the highest levels of the game
Hakan Şükür was born on 1 September 1971 in Sakarya, Turkey, and began his career with local club Sakaryaspor, making his league debut shortly after his 17th birthday in 1988. A move to Bursaspor two seasons later earned him his first Turkey caps, before Galatasaray signed him in 1992, launching an association that would define Turkish football for the following decade. Standing 1.91 metres tall with formidable heading ability, Şükür spent eight years at Galatasaray, aside from a brief loan at Torino, scoring 173 goals in 246 appearances and winning six league titles and four Turkish Cups. In 2003, he broke Tanju Çolak's long-standing Turkish Süper Lig scoring record, dedicating the milestone to his ailing mother, and finished his domestic career with 249 league goals — the most in Turkish top-flight history. Şükür represented Turkey at Euro '96, Euro 2000, and the 2002 World Cup, where his country finished third — Turkey's best-ever World Cup result. In the tournament's third-place play-off against co-hosts South Korea, Şükür scored after just 11 seconds, the fastest goal in World Cup history, a record that remains unbroken more than two decades later. He finished as Turkey's all-time leading scorer, with 51 goals in 112 caps, and also spent time with Torino, Parma, and Internazionale in Italy, and Blackburn Rovers in England. After retiring in 2008, Şükür entered Turkish politics, serving as a member of parliament before falling out publicly with the ruling government, which led to an international arrest warrant being issued against him; he has lived in exile in the United States since 2016.
Fastest goal in World Cup history (11 seconds vs South Korea 2002)
He scored after just 11 seconds against South Korea in 2002 — the fastest goal in World Cup history, a record that still stands.
Did You Know?How They Played
Clinical finisher with excellent positioning and aerial ability
Lasting Impact
Turkey's greatest striker and leading international goalscorer
Career Honours
- Süper Lig 4x
- Turkish Cup 2x
- 51 Turkey goals in 112 caps
- World Cup 3rd Place 2002
- UEFA Cup 2000
- UEFA Super Cup 2000
| Club | Period | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sakaryaspor | 1987–1990 | 41 | 19 |
| Bursaspor | 1990–1992 | 54 | 11 |
| Galatasaray | 1992–1995 | 90 | 54 |
| Torino | 1995–1995 | 5 | 1 |
| Galatasaray | 1995–2000 | 156 | 108 |
| Inter Milan | 2000–2002 | 24 | 5 |
| Parma | 2002–2002 | 15 | 3 |
| Blackburn Rovers | 2002–2003 | 9 | 2 |
| Galatasaray | 2003–2008 | 146 | 55 |
 Turkey | — | 112 | 51 |
Turkish Athletes