TFF announces foreign player quota for the new season

The TFF has made statements regarding the criteria for fielding foreign players for the new season. The announcement from the federation is as follows:

Article 1 - Süper Lig player eligibility

(1) Clubs may have a maximum of 14 players who are not eligible to play for the Turkish National Football Team ("foreign players") on their A-Team List.

No age criteria are required for 12 of the 14 foreign players who can be registered on the A-Team List. If 14 foreign players are registered on the A-Team List, at least 2 of these players must have been born on or after 01.01.2003 for the 2025-2026 season. Not utilizing some or all of the 14 foreign player slots does not prevent the registration of a higher number of players eligible to play for the Turkish National Football Team.

In the 2026-2027 season, at least 4 of the 14 foreign players must have been born on or after 01.01.2004.

(2) Süper Lig clubs that have contracts with more than 14 foreign players cannot field foreign players who have not been registered on the A-Team List in A-Team matches.

(3) In addition to the players who are not eligible to play for the Turkish National Football Team and are registered on the A-Team List as stipulated in the first paragraph, clubs may register 1 player who was registered on the A-Team List as a citizen of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, or Turkmenistan in the 2023-2024 season, and 1 player who is not eligible to play for the Turkish National Football Team but holds Turkish citizenship or a blue card, on the A-Team List under the scope of Article 2, paragraph e, due to their acquired rights until the end of their contract terms. If these players' contracts expire, any extensions, renewals, or new contracts signed with other clubs will be registered under the category of players not eligible to play for the National Team and will be registered on the A-Team List accordingly.

(4) Clubs may field their registered professional players who were born on or after 01.01.2005 and are eligible to play for the Turkish National Football Team in matches without the obligation to register them on the A-Team List. It is not required for these players to be professional footballers, provided that they have been registered with the club for the last 6 months and have completed the age of 15.

Article 2 - A-Team List

(1) Clubs are required to submit their A-Team List of professional footballers who will participate in official matches to the Federation within the framework of the principles stated below:

a) The A-Team List shall consist of a maximum of 28 footballers.

b) At least 14 of the footballers to be included in the A-Team List must be eligible to play for the Turkish National Football Team. Furthermore, with the exception of the foreign footballers permitted to be registered on the list, all other footballers to be included in the A-Team List must be eligible to play for the Turkish National Football Team, without prejudice to the provisions of the 3rd paragraph of Article 1 above.

Regarding the aforementioned footballers, the requirement of eligibility to play for the Turkish National Football Team is not sought for Turkish citizens who opted for the national teams of other countries before June 15, 2015. Foreigners who later acquired Turkish citizenship may be included in the list under this scope, provided that they have not played for the national teams of other countries, that five years have passed since the date of their first application for citizenship, and that they have played in at least one official match for any age category of the Turkish Youth National Teams.

c) Of the 14 footballers mentioned in clause "b" above, at least 2 must have been born on or after January 1, 2003, for the 2025-2026 season. For the 2026-2027 season, at least 4 of these footballers must have been born on or after January 1, 2004.

d) Clubs may have a maximum of 3 goalkeepers on their A-Team List. At least two of these goalkeepers must be eligible to play for the Turkish National Football Team as specified in clause "b".

e) In the event that a club fails to report footballers meeting the criteria stipulated in clauses "b", "c", and "d", the A-Team List shall be formed with as many fewer players as the number of unreported footballers; furthermore, disciplinary action shall be taken against the relevant clubs for non-compliance with the instructions.

f) Among the players mentioned in clauses "b", "c", "d", and "e" above, those who lose their eligibility to play for the Turkish National A Football Team after the final lists are submitted to the TFF shall lose their status as players eligible to play under this scope at the beginning of the following transfer and registration period. Players who lose their eligibility to play for the Turkish National A Football Team during the Transfer and Registration Periods shall be immediately removed from the status of players eligible to play for the Turkish National A Football Team on the list.

Article 3 - Submission of the A-Team list to the TFF

(1) Clubs are required to submit their A-Team List to the TFF at least 24 hours before their first official match.

(2) The A-Team List may be revised by the clubs 24 hours before the club's official matches during the first transfer and registration period.

(3) It is mandatory to submit the A-Team List to the TFF within three days following the end of the first transfer and registration period, to be valid until the second transfer and registration period.

(4) From the beginning of the Second Transfer and Registration Period, clubs may revise their A-Team Lists up to 24 hours before the club's official matches.

(5) It is mandatory to submit the A-Team List, which will be valid until the end of the season, to the TFF within three days following the end of the Second Transfer and Registration Period.

(6) Players to be included in the A-Team List must be registered by the TFF on behalf of the club. However, in international transfers, players whose International Transfer Certificate has been requested but not yet received may be included in the A-Team List.

This situation shall be clearly stated by the club on the list. Players in this situation cannot gain eligibility to play in matches unless they are registered by the TFF. If the registration of these players is not completed, no other players may be added in their place outside of the revision periods.

(7) Clubs that do not submit their A-Team List to the TFF on time will not be permitted to participate in matches.

Article 4 - Match squad list

(1) The Match Squad List shall consist of a maximum of 21 players.

(2) For the 2025-2026 season, clubs may include the following in their Match Squad List:

a) Players listed on their A-Team Lists,

b) Registered professional players not included on the A-Team List who were born on or after 01.01.2005 and are eligible to play for the Turkish National Team, as well as amateur players who meet the same conditions, provided they have been registered with the club for the last 6 months and have reached the age of 15,

c) Professional players who are citizens of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan, provided they were born on or after 01.01.2005 and have been registered with the club for at least 3 seasons or 36 months, consecutively or non-consecutively, since the age of 15.

(3) In the event of a violation of the above regulations, the provisions of the Football Competition Instruction

shall apply.

News Source: İHA