Arda Güler (Turkish pronunciation: [aɾˈda ˈɟylæɾ] ; born 25 February 2005) is a Turkish professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder or winger[2] for La Liga club Real Madrid and the Turkey national team. He is regarded as one of the best young footballers in the world.[3][4]
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 25 February 2005 | ||
Place of birth | Altındağ, Ankara, Turkey | ||
Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
Position(s) | Attacking midfielder,[1] winger | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Real Madrid | ||
Number | 15 | ||
Youth career | |||
2014–2019 | Gençlerbirliği | ||
2019–2021 | Fenerbahçe | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2021–2023 | Fenerbahçe | 32 | (7) |
2023– | Real Madrid | 10 | (6) |
International career‡ | |||
2021–2022 | Turkey U17 | 10 | (4) |
2022– | Turkey | 12 | (2) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19:01, 19 May 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20:54, 6 July 2024 (UTC) |
Club career
Early career
Güler started his youth career at Ankara-based club Gençlerbirliği, in 2014.[5] He joined Fenerbahçe youth ranks in 2019.[5]
Fenerbahçe
Güler signed a two-and-a-half-year-long professional contract with Fenerbahçe, on 13 January 2021.[6] He was considered as a wonderkid and seen as a big prospect for the future.[7]
2021–22 season
Güler made his senior debut as a substitute player against Finnish club HJK in the play-off round encounter of the 2021–22 UEFA Europa League. Held at Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium on 19 August 2021, it ended 1–0 for Fenerbahçe.[8] In his first Süper Lig match three days later, he provided the assist that let Miha Zajc score the winning goal at the 89th minute of the 2–0 victory over Antalyaspor.[9]
He started getting more playing time as the 2021–22 season progressed. In March 2022, Güler became Fenerbahçe's youngest goalscorer in Süper Lig history, having just turned 17 three weeks earlier. By May 2022, Güler had scored 3 goals and delivered 3 assists in just 255 minutes of playing time. After an impressing start to his career, it was reported that big European clubs like Arsenal, Liverpool, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain showed their interest in signing him.[10][11] On 17 March 2022, Fenerbahçe announced that they had signed a three-year contract with him.[12]
2022–23 season
In the start of 2022–23 season, after the departure of Mesut Özil, Güler was given the number 10, which has a special meaning for Fenerbahçe fans, being the number of club legends Alex de Souza and Jay-Jay Okocha.[13] He played his first match of the season against Kasımpaşa and scored two goals in 21 minutes of play.[14] On 3 November 2022, he scored his first goal in European competitions, and also provided an assist, in a 2–0 away win over Dynamo Kyiv in the Europa League group stage.[15] On 11 June 2023, Güler put in a man of the match performance in a 2–0 win at 2023 Turkish Cup final against İstanbul Başakşehir.[16] On 6 July, Güler took to Instagram to announce his departure from Fenerbahçe, marking the end of his tenure with the Turkish club.[17]
Real Madrid
On 6 July 2023, La Liga club Real Madrid announced the signing of Güler to a six-year contract lasting until June 2029.[18][19] The deal was sealed by triggering his release clause with an initial payment of €20 million, which surpassed the €17.5 million clause from his former contract with Fenerbahçe.[20][21] Güler requested Real Madrid to pay beyond his release clause to raise funds for his former club.[22]
2023–24 season
Following multiple injuries in late 2023, Güler debuted for Real Madrid in the Copa del Rey match against Arandina on 6 January 2024,[23] contributing to the team's 3–1 win.[24][25] On 14 January, he won his first trophy with Real Madrid in the Supercopa de España final, where Real Madrid triumphed over Barcelona with a score of 4–1.[26][27] Güler made his La Liga debut against Las Palmas on 27 January, coming on as a substitute in the 81st minute, replacing Rodrygo.[28][29] On 10 March, Güler scored his first league goal for Real Madrid, dribbling past Celta goalkeeper Vicente Guaita in the fourth minute of stoppage time, five minutes after being substituted on, to seal a 4–0 league victory over Celta Vigo.[30][31] On 26 April, Güler marked his first La Liga start with a goal, giving his team a 1–0 win against Real Sociedad at Reale Arena.[32][33] On 19 May, he scored a brace against Villarreal in a 4–4 draw, becoming the fastest player in Real Madrid's history to score six La Liga goals in just 330 minutes of playing time.[34][35]
International career
Güler is a Turkish youth international, having played up to the Turkey U21s. He made his senior international debut for Turkey on 19 November 2022, in their 2–1 friendly win against Czech Republic. He scored his first goal against Wales in Euro 2024 qualifiers on 19 June 2023.[36]
UEFA Euro 2024
He was named in Turkey's 26-man squad for UEFA Euro 2024.[37] On 18 June 2024, Güler was awarded Player of the Match, as he scored in Turkey's 3–1 opening fixture win over Georgia, becoming the first teenager to score on his European Championship debut since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2004.[38] With his goal, he also became the fifth-youngest goalscorer in the tournament's history and the youngest debutant to find the net, aged 19 years and 114 days, breaking Cristiano Ronaldo's previous record.[39][40]
On 3 July, he provided an assist as Turkey defeated Austria 2–1 in the round of 16 and progressed into the quarter-finals. In doing so, Güler became only the third teenager in history to score and assist in the same Euros, following Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney. [41]
Style of play
Güler is a left-footed attacking midfielder who can also play as a winger, prominently on the right flank. A very precocious player, Güler stands out for his ability to deal with complex situations in tight spaces. A fine playmaker, he also boasts impressive dribbling skill, vision, creativity, above-average passing skills and notable technical ability from set-pieces. [42]
Career statistics
Club
Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Fenerbahçe | 2021–22 | Süper Lig | 12 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4[b] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 3 |
2022–23 | Süper Lig | 20 | 4 | 5 | 1 | 10[c] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 6 | |
Total | 32 | 7 | 5 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 51 | 9 | ||
Real Madrid | 2023–24 | La Liga | 10 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[d] | 0 | 12 | 6 |
2024–25 | La Liga | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[e] | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
Total | 10 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 13 | 6 | ||
Career total | 42 | 13 | 6 | 1 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 64 | 15 |
- ^ Includes Turkish Cup and Copa del Rey
- ^ Two appearances in UEFA Europa League, two appearances in UEFA Europa Conference League
- ^ One appearance in UEFA Champions League, nine appearances in UEFA Europa League
- ^ Appearance in Supercopa de España
- ^ Appearance in UEFA Super Cup
International
- As of match played 6 July 2024[45]
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
Turkey | 2022 | 1 | 0 |
2023 | 3 | 1 | |
2024 | 7 | 1 | |
Total | 12 | 2 |
- Scores and results list Turkey's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Güler goal.
No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 19 June 2023 | Samsun 19 Mayıs Stadium, Samsun, Turkey | 4 | Wales | 2–0 | 2–0 | UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying |
2 | 18 June 2024 | Westfalenstadion, Dortmund, Germany | 8 | Georgia | 2–1 | 3–1 | UEFA Euro 2024 |
Honours
Fenerbahçe
Real Madrid
References
- ^ "Arda Güler". UEFA. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
- ^ "Arda Guler: Real Madrid's Precocious Turkish Winger". Breaking The Lines. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ "The 25 best young players in world football right now ranked in order". Give Me Sport. 1 July 2024. Archived from the original on 10 July 2024. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ "FRANCISCO CONCEICAO, ARDA GULER, LAMINE YAMAL: WHO ARE THE BEST YOUNG PLAYERS IN THE EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP?". eurosport.com. 10 July 2024. Archived from the original on 18 June 2024. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
- ^ a b "Son dakika! Fenerbahçe, Arda Güler için Gençlerbirliği ile anlaştı! İşte ödenecek rakam..." [Breaking news! Fenerbahçe has agreed with Gençlerbirliği for Arda Güler! Here is the amount to be paid...]. Habertürk (in Turkish). 15 December 2022. Archived from the original on 31 January 2023. Retrieved 31 January 2023.
- ^ "Altyapı futbolcumuz Arda Güler'le profesyonel sözleşme imzalandı" [A professional contract has been signed with our youth player Arda Güler] (in Turkish). Fenerbahçe S.K. 13 January 2021. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 20 February 2021.
- ^ "Arda Guler: The Turkish wonderkid the whole of Europe wants to sign". Goal (website). 19 April 2022. Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ "Fenerbahçe (TUR) 1–0 HJK (Finland)". UEFA. 19 August 2021. Archived from the original on 20 August 2021. Retrieved 20 August 2021.
- ^ "Fenerbahçe 2–0 Fraport TAV Antalyaspor" (in Turkish). Fenerbahçe S.K. 22 August 2021. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ "Arda Guler: The Turkish wonderkid the whole of Europe wants to sign". Goal (website). Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ Sport (6 June 2022). "PSG join Barça on the list of clubs that want Arda Guler". sport. Archived from the original on 18 July 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ "Fenerbahçe Yolunuz Açık Olsun… Armamızla, Uzun Yıllar Nice Başarılara – Fenerbahçe Spor Kulübü". Archived from the original on 20 April 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2023.
- ^ "Fenerbahçede yeni on numara Arda Güler!". Fanatik. 8 August 2022. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ "Kasımpaşa vs Fenerbahçe (0–6) Aug 15, 2022 Match Stats". FootballCritic. Archived from the original on 18 July 2023. Retrieved 18 August 2022.
- ^ "Dynamo Kyiv 0–2 Fenerbahçe". UEFA. 3 November 2022. Archived from the original on 24 November 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
- ^ a b "Fenerbahçe-Başakşehir finaline Arda Güler damgası!". 11 June 2023. Archived from the original on 12 June 2023. Retrieved 12 June 2023.
- ^ Garlan, Victor (6 July 2023). "Arda Güler fait ses adieux au Fenerbahçe" [Arda Güler bids farewell to Fenerbahçe]. Foot Mercato (in French). Archived from the original on 5 October 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
- ^ "Official Announcement: Arda Güler". Real Madrid C.F. 6 July 2023. Archived from the original on 8 July 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
- ^ "Arda Güler becomes a Real Madrid player". Real Madrid. Archived from the original on 8 July 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
- ^ "Real sign Turkish wonderkid Guler from Fenerbahce". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 18 July 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
- ^ "Real Madrid beat Barcelona to win race for Turkish wonderkid". OneFootball. 6 July 2023. Archived from the original on 5 October 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
- ^ Cortegana, Mario. "Arda Guler chooses to join Real Madrid ahead of Barcelona". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 18 July 2023. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
- ^ "Madrid will be patient with Guler after debut, boss Ancelotti says". Reuters. 7 January 2024. Archived from the original on 7 January 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ "Madrid book place in Copa del Rey last 16". Real Madrid C.F. 6 January 2024. Archived from the original on 7 January 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ "Atletico, Real win to advance to Spanish Cup last 16, Betis knocked out". Reuters. 6 January 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
- ^ "Spanish Super Cup champions!". Real Madrid C.F. 14 January 2024. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
- ^ "Arda Güler, Real Madrid ile ilk kupasını kazandı!" [Arda Guler wins his first trophy with Real Madrid!]. beIN Sports (in Turkish). 14 January 2024. Archived from the original on 14 January 2024. Retrieved 15 January 2024.
- ^ "Tchouameni grabs Madrid late win at Las Palmas to top Liga". France 24. 27 January 2024. Archived from the original on 4 February 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
- ^ "Arda Güler sahaya çıktı Real zor da olsa kazandı" [Arda Guler took the field Real won even if it was difficult]. beIN Sports (in Turkish). 27 January 2024. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
- ^ "Real Madrid 4–0 Celta Vigo: Vinicius Junior and Arda Guler score in La Liga win". BBC Sport. 10 March 2024. Archived from the original on 4 April 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
- ^ "Arda Güler: "I'm thrilled to have scored my first goal"". Real Madrid CF. 10 March 2024. Archived from the original on 2 April 2024. Retrieved 11 March 2024.
- ^ "Real Sociedad 0–1 Real Madrid: Arda Güler scores as Real Madrid close in on title". BBC Sport. 26 April 2024. Archived from the original on 26 April 2024. Retrieved 26 April 2024.
- ^ "Arda Güler: "Me siento muy contento por marcar y por la victoria"" [Arda Güler: "I'm very happy that I scored and I'm very happy for the win"] (in Spanish). Real Madrid CF. 26 April 2024. Archived from the original on 17 May 2024. Retrieved 27 April 2024.
- ^ ""Turkish Messi", "This kid is unreal" – Fans hail Arda Guler for his performance in Real Madrid's 4–4 draw against Villarreal". sportskeeda. 19 May 2024. Archived from the original on 24 May 2024. Retrieved 24 May 2024.
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- ^ "Türkiye 3–1 Georgia: Arda Güler thunderbolt lights up thrilling win". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 18 June 2024. Archived from the original on 18 June 2024. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
- ^ "EURO's youngest scorers: Vonlanthen, Rooney, Renato Sanches, Stojković, Arda Güler". UEFA.com. Union of European Football Associations. 18 June 2024. Archived from the original on 18 June 2024. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
- ^ Fretton, Mitchell (18 June 2024). "Arda Guler breaks long-standing Cristiano Ronaldo record as 'Turkish Messi' scores incredible goal in Euro 2024 win over Georgia". Goal.com. Archived from the original on 18 June 2024. Retrieved 18 June 2024.
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- ^ "Who is Real Madrid Wonderkid Arda Guler". givemesport.com. 6 June 2024. Archived from the original on 19 March 2024. Retrieved 13 July 2024.
- ^ "Arda Güler @ Fenerbahçe SK" (in Turkish). mackolik.com. Archived from the original on 27 June 2023. Retrieved 5 October 2022.
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External links
- Arda Güler at Soccerway.com
- Arda Güler at WorldFootball.net
- Arda Güler at Soccerbase.com
- Arda Güler at National-Football-Teams.com
- Arda Güler at BDFutbol