Çalhanoğlu began his career atGerman second division clubKarlsruher SC in 2010 and moved totop-flight sideHamburger SV two years later, spending another season back at his first club on loan. His performance in his first Bundesliga season earned him a €14.5 million transfer toBayer Leverkusen in 2014. He played for three seasons there, totalling 28 goals in 115 official appearances. In 2017, Çalhanoğlu signed forAC Milan for an initial €20 million fee, before joiningcity rivals Inter on a free transfer in the summer of 2021.
Born in Germany, Çalhanoğlu represents Turkey at international level, fromunder-16 level onwards. He made his senior debut in 2013, and was part of their squad at theUEFA European Championship in2016,2020 and2024.
Born inMannheim,Baden-Württemberg, Germany, Çalhanoğlu began his career withKarlsruher SC in the2. Bundesliga in February 2012 after he was promoted from the under-19 team, although they were relegated to the3. Liga at the end of his first season. He signed a four-year deal to joinHamburger SV in the 2012 summer transfer window, being loaned back to Karlsruhe for another season.[3] In that season on loan, he helped the team win the third division and return to the second tier.
Çalhanoğlu made his Hamburg andBundesliga debut on 11 August 2013, as the team opened the season with a 3–3 away draw atSchalke 04. He started the match, and was replaced byDennis Aogo after 74 minutes.[4] He scored his first goals for the club on 31 August, in a 4–0 home win overEintracht Braunschweig; after replacing goalscorerRafael van der Vaart in the 79th minute, he scored a minute later and then netted again with a free kick.[5]
On 5 February 2014, Çalhanoğlu signed a two-year extension to his Hamburg contract, to keep him at the club until 2018.[6] On 20 February, he scored a 41-yard free kick, againstBorussia Dortmund in a 3–0 win, which ended Hamburg's bad run. As he saw no defensive wall or teammates to pass, he struck a shot that swerved viciously to find the back of the net. A delighted Çalhanoğlu said afterwards: 'I hit the free-kick the same way I do in training all the time. I'm delighted that I pulled it off!'.[7] He was sent off for the first time in his career on 22 March, for his second booking in the 53rd minute of a 1–0 defeat away toVfB Stuttgart.[8]
Inhis only full season at Hamburg, the team finished in 16th, and won a play-off againstGreuther Fürth on away goals to maintain their honour as the only team to feature in every season of the top flight.[9]
Çalhanoğlu warming up with Leverkusen before a friendly in July 2014
Hamburg were initially unwilling to sell Çalhanoğlu to other German teams, but their purchase ofPierre-Michel Lasogga fromHertha Berlin made such an exception no longer financially viable.[10] On 4 July 2014, he left Hamburg for league rivalsBayer Leverkusen, signing a five-year contract[11] for a transfer fee of €14.5 million.[12] His actions leading up to the transfer caused some controversy, including takingsick leave from Hamburg; he justified the leave by saying that he was stressed by aggression from fans, including vandalism of his car. He also criticised Hamburg's directorOliver Kreuzer, accusing him of betrayal.[13] The move was later criticised bySon Heung-min, as a response to Çalhanoğlu calling his former Leverkusen teammate's transfer toTottenham Hotspur "badly advised".[14]
He made his debut for the club on 19 June, starting in a 3–2 away win atCopenhagen in the first leg of aUEFA Champions League qualification play-off.[15] Four days later, he played his first league game for his new club, a 2–0 win away toBorussia Dortmund on the opening day ofthe new season.[16] On 27 August he scored his first Leverkusen goal, netting his team's second in a 4–0 win in the second leg of their European play-off.[17] He scored his first league goal for the club on 12 September, Leverkusen's second in a 3–3 home draw againstWerder Bremen. It was the first game in any competition that season which they did not win.[18] Çalhanoğlu was nominated for the 2014Golden Boy Award in October.[19]
Çalhanoğlu with Leverkusen in 2015
On 25 February 2015, he scored the only goal as Leverkusen defeatedAtlético Madrid in the last 16 first leg in the Champions League.[20] However, three weeks later in the second leg, he took their first attempt in apenalty shoot-out and had it saved byJan Oblak, as Atlético went on to win.[21] On 2 May, Çalhanoğlu opened a 2–0 home win over newly crowned league championsBayern Munich, with a free kick.[22]
He opened his second season at the club by scoring a penalty on 8 August in a 3–0 win at fourth-tierSportfreunde Lotte in the first round of theDFB-Pokal.[23] Two weeks later, with a free kick, he scored the only goal of a league win atHannover 96.[24] On 26 August, he opened a 3–0 win overLazio as Bayer came back from a first-leg deficit to qualify for thegroup stage of the Champions League.[25] In their first game of the group stage, Çalhanoğlu scored twice — including a penalty earned by a handball of his free kick — in a 4–1 home rout ofBATE Borisov.[26]
He opened his2016–17 goalscoring account on 14 September in the 2–2 home draw againstCSKA Moscow in a Champions League group stage game — the 50th goal in his senior club career.[27]
On 2 February 2017, Çalhanoğlu received a four-month ban fromFIFA for a breach of contract relating to his time at Karlsruher SC. He received €100,000 from Turkish clubTrabzonspor in 2011 after agreeing to sign with the club but later extended his contract with Karlsruhe. Trabzonspor had initially sought repayment of the €100,000 paid as well compensation of €1 million but FIFA ruled that €100,000 and a four-month ban would suffice.[28]
He made hisRossoneri competitive debut a month later in the second leg of the Europa League third qualifying round, replacingSuso for the final 25 minutes of a 2–0 win (3–0 aggregate) overUniversitatea Craiova at theSan Siro.[35] He scored his first goal for Milan in a 5–1 away win againstAustria Wien in the group stage on 14 September, also providing two assists.[36] Domestically, Çalhanoğlu made his league debut on 20 August, playing the full 90 minutes of a 3–0 win atCrotone.[37] He was sent off in a 2–0 home loss toRoma on 1 October, earning a second yellow card for a foul onRadja Nainggolan.[38] Çalhanoğlu scored his first league goal on 25 October in a 4–1 win atChievo, becoming the first Turk to net in Serie A sinceEmre Belözoğlu in 2003.[39]
On 22 June 2021, Çalhanoğlu signed a three-year contract with Serie A clubInter Milan, the city-rival of his previous club, on a free transfer.[40]
Çalhanoğlu scored and assisted a goal on his Inter Milan debut, a 4–0 win overGenoa on the opening day of the2021–22 Serie A season.[41] He went on to score seven goals and notch twelve assists in the league, and scored in theCoppa Italia final victory againstJuventus, but it was his former team Milan that went on to lift the league title. On 4 October 2022, he scored his first Champions League goal with Inter in a 1–0 win overBarcelona.[42]
On 14 March 2023, he was named Player of the Match in the Champions League round of 16 second leg away match againstPorto, which ended in a goalless draw and qualification to the quarter-final for the first time in twelve years for Inter Milan, by winning 1–0 on aggregate.[43]
Çalhanoğlu (left) playing with Internazionale in a friendly in August 2023
On 5 June 2023, he agreed to extend his contract withInter Milan for another 4 years, lasting until 2027.[44] On 4 November 2023, he scored his tenth consecutive penalty in a 2–1 away victory overAtalanta, only fewer thanRomelu Lukaku with 14; in addition, he managed to equalSükrü Gülesin's record as the highest Turkish scorer in Serie A with 36 goals.[45] He finished the2023–24 season with a personal best, scoring 13 goals in Serie A.[46]
In the 2024–25 season, he scored four goals during theChampions League campaign, including a penalty against Barcelona in the semifinal, helping his club advance to thefinal and becoming the first Turkish player to achieve this feat twice.[47]
It's thanks to the Germans that I became a footballer. But playing for the Turkish national team is an honour. I want to be Turkey'sMesut Özil.
— Çalhanoğlu explaining his decision to represent Turkey toMilliyet.[48]
Born inGermany, Çalhanoğlu opted to play for Turkey, qualifying for them through his family's origins inTrabzon.[3] He played for the country at youth international level, including the2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup on home soil.[3] Turkey reached the last 16 before elimination byFrance. In their second group game on 28 June, Çalhanoğlu scored Turkey's equaliser in a 2–1 win overAustralia at theHüseyin Avni Aker Stadium in his ancestral city.[49]
Çalhanoğlu playing for Turkey in 2016
He made his senior international debut on 6 September 2013 in a World Cup qualifier inKayseri, replacingGökhan Töre for the last eight minutes of a 5–0 win againstAndorra inFatih Terim's first match back in charge.[50] He made his first start on 25 May 2014 in a 2–1 friendly win against theRepublic of Ireland at Dublin'sAviva Stadium, making way forOlcan Adın after 61 minutes.[51]
Çalhanoğlu was sharing a hotel room with national team defenderÖmer Toprak in October 2013 after a World Cup qualifying defeat to theNetherlands, when Gökhan Töre and an unknown armed friend entered the room, and threatened both roommates at gunpoint, ostensibly due to Töre's ex-girlfriend dating a friend of Toprak.[52] The incident was hidden from Turkish media, but Çalhanoğlu revealed it to Germany'sZDF television channel.[52] Töre did not return to the national team until October 2014, when both Çalhanoğlu and Toprak were injured. The following month, with both players back to fitness and form, both were left out by Terim for a friendly againstBrazil and aUEFA Euro 2016 qualifying match againstKazakhstan while Töre remained. Çalhanoğlu questioned his omission from the team, while Terim defended his own decision and said that Töre deserved to be forgiven.[52] In June 2015, Çalhanoğlu and Töre reconciled.[53]
On 31 March 2015, Çalhanoğlu scored his first international goal in a 2–1 friendly win away toLuxembourg, a 30-yard strike with three minutes remaining.[54] He scored two more in a 4–0 home friendly win overBulgaria on 8 June, the latter being a free kick.[55] His first competitive goal came on 10 October, a cross which secured a 2–0 away win over theCzech Republic in theUEFA Euro 2016 qualifying event.[56]
Çalhanoğlu became the first Turk to score againstEngland, in the 11th match between the two nations, a friendly at theCity of Manchester Stadium on 22 May 2016, in which he equalized in the 2–1 defeat.[57] Later that month, on 31 May, he was selected in the 23-man squad for theUEFA Euro 2016.[58]
On 22 March 2019, Çalhanoğlu scored the second goal of Turkey's 2–0 victory overAlbania in their openingUEFA Euro 2020 qualifier.[59] On 1 June 2021, he was named in the Turkish squad for the postponedUEFA Euro 2020.[60] In March 2022, he became his nation's captain, following the retirement ofBurak Yılmaz.[61]
On 7 June 2024, he was called up to the 26-man squad for theUEFA Euro 2024,[62] becoming the second Turkish player to feature in three European tournaments, followingRüştü Reçber.[63] On 11 October 2025, he made his 100th international appearance in a 6–1 away win overBulgaria during the2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.[64]
Çalhanoğlu has been likened toMesut Özil, another German-bornmidfielder of Turkish ancestry.[65][66][67][68][69] He expressed a desire to be the equivalent of Özil in the Turkey national team.[48]
A set-piece specialist, he is known for scoring fromfree kicks,[70] and models his set-piece technique on theknuckleball free kicks ofCristiano Ronaldo and especiallyJuninho Pernambucano.[65][71] In addition to his ability to score with power and accuracy from direct free kicks with his right foot,[72] he is also known for his ability tobend the ball, and his set-piece delivery.[73] In December 2013,Talksport called him "aplaymaker destined for the top", praising his dedication and passing ability.[65] FormerEngland internationalOwen Hargreaves said onBT Sport in August 2015 that Çalhanoğlu's style of play would fitLiverpool or Tottenham Hotspur.[74]
Despite mostly positive reception in his late teens and early twenties, in recent years, however, he has drawn some criticism as well; his pace was deemed insufficient for a winger, a position he adopted due to absence of his natural classic "number 10" attacking midfield role in the preferred formations of his teams, particularlyAC Milan. He has also been criticized in the media for his lack of physical attributes and overall inconsistency of his performances. However, hisdribbling, technique, passing (both short and long),crossing, and vision, as well as his eye for goal and striking ability from distance, have been referred to as his strengths.[75][76] Çalhanoğlu has also been used in deeper midfield positions throughout his career, including in aholding role, in which he usually operates as adeep-lying playmaker, as an offensive–mindedcentral midfielder, known as themezzala role in Italian football jargon, or even in moreoffensive roles on occasion, as asecond striker, for example.[77][78]
Çalhanoğlu was born in Mannheim, Germany, to Turkish parents originally fromBayburt, Turkey.[79] Çalhanoğlu married his childhood sweetheart Sinem Gündoğdu, in Mannheim, in 2017.[80] The couple had alleged marital problems,[81] because of which Çalhanoğlu decided to file for divorce, but in 2018,[82] the couple reportedly made up.[83][84] The couple welcomed their daughter, Liya, born in Mannheim, in March 2019.[85][86] They also have two boys, Ayaz and Asil Can (born November 2023).[87]
Muhammed, younger brother of Hakan, is also a professional footballer.[88] The younger Çalhanoğlu was also formed atWaldhof Mannheim andKarlsruher SC, and went on to play in the lower divisions of Austrian and Turkish football.[89] Similarly, his cousinKerim Çalhanoğlu is also a footballer, and also played forWaldhof Mannheim.[90]
He is a supporter ofGalatasaray and in an interview he expressed his desire to play there in the future for a part of his career as he spent his childhood dreaming of winning trophies with Galatasaray.[96]
In 2025, Çalhanoğlu partnered with the Web3 gameMy Lovely Planet to launch the “Çalhanoğlu Forest” reforestation project in Kuşadası, Turkey. The initiative began with the planting of 10,000 native trees on land damaged by wildfires in 2024.
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