How the Süper Lig will change with only 18 teams in the 25-26 season
On April 16th, 2025, the Turkish Football Federation decided to return to the conventional 18-team Süper Lig. From 1994 to 2020, a total of 18 clubs battled it out in the grand Turkish league. Since 2020, the total number of teams in the league has varied from 19 to 21. Now, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has committed to an overhaul of the Süper Lig, starting with the reduction of the number of teams back to the pre-pandemic figure. As part of the restructuring, the total number of professional football teams in Turkiye will be gradually reduced to 120. Below, we take a look at how this will affect the league:
State of the Süper Lig
During the Süper Lig season, a standard number of 18 clubs typically participate in the competition. Using the double round robin format, each club plays the others twice, once at home and once away at the opponent’s stadium. At the end of the season, there will be a total of 34 games played by each team and 306 in total.
Each team receives three points for every win and one point if they end in a draw, with zero points awarded if they lose the game. At the end of the season, the total points, head-to-head record, goal difference and goals scored determine team rankings. The champion and the top three runner-up teams qualify for the European competitions, while the last three are relegated to the TFF First League, also known as 1. Lig.
In 2020, 21 clubs were involved in the Süper Lig, resulting in a total of 40 games per team and 420 games in the entire season. The rise from the standard 18-club system to fluctuating club numbers was due to the suspension of the relegation system during the COVID-19 pandemic at the Clubs Association request.
Since 2021, there have been plans to reduce the number of Süper Lig teams and also the number of general professional football teams, which also rose from 125 to 145 between 2019 and 2021. However, the devastating earthquakes that rocked Türkiye in 2023 stalled the execution of the phased reduction plan.
Without a strategic reduction in the number of teams, players have had to play a longer season, which increased the number of injuries and fatigue levels. Scheduling the games for television broadcast was also challenging. More importantly for the Turkish Football Federation, there was less funding to distribute to each club to ensure the best match experience.
However, there were some positives to having a higher number of teams. It meant more fans could see their team play at the highest level. Many industries have spoken out against the inconsistency when it comes to game and season schedules though, with the football betting and advertising industries in particular arguing that this unpredictability makes it difficult to plan for the season. Both industries have been vital funding sources for football in general, so it’s surprising their calls have mostly gone unanswered.
Turkish Football Federation cuts Süper Lig teams to boost competitiveness and financial stability
In a statement, the Turkish Football Federation confirmed the reduction of the maximum number of teams for the 2025/2026 Süper Lig season to 18. The move was made citing the need to improve financial sustainability and promote competitive balance in the championship event. The current Süper Lig 2024/2025 season will lead to three teams being relegated to the 1. Lig. In addition, the total number of professional football teams will drop from 139 to 120 over the course of several seasons, based on a phased reduction plan the TFF approved as a strategic way to maintain balance in the football industry during the process.
Süper Lig 2025/2026 Season
The 2025-26 season, officially named the Trendyol Süper Lig Mehmet Ali Yılmaz season, is the 68th season of Turkiye’s top-tier football league. During the 2024/2025 season, four teams including Adana Demirspor, Sivasspor, Bodrum FK and Hatayspor dropped to the TFF First League. The 2025/2026 league started on August 8th, 2025, and the first half of the season will end on December 22nd, 2025. The second half will start on January 16th, 2026, and end on May 17th, 2026.
Currently, the 2024/2025 league winner Galatasaray is at the top of the leaderboard with a total of 29 points, closely followed by Fenerbahce and Trabzonspor with totals of 25 and 24 points, respectively. The clubs playing the Trendyol Süper Lig Mehmet Ali Yılmaz season include:
- Alanyaspor
- Antalyaspor
- Başakşehir
- Beşiktaş
- Eyüpspor
- Fatih Karagümrük
- Fenerbahçe
- Galatasaray
- Gaziantep
- Gençlerbirliği
- Göztepe
- Kasımpaşa
- Kayserispor
- Kocaelispor
- Konyaspor
- Rizespor
- Samsunspor
- Trabzonspor
The top goal scorers so far include Eldor Shomurodov from Başakşehir and Trabzonspor’s Paul Onuachu with seven goals each in 11 appearances. The top leading club Galatasaray’s most expensively acquired player Victor Osimhen has scored three goals so far in eight appearances. The Nigerian star striker netted 26 goals in the 24/25 season, granting Galatasaray the golden boot for the third time in a row.
Expectations for the Süper Lig 18 teams – 25/26 season
With the leaner team setup, the Turkish Football Federation can effectively boost club revenues and improve competition among teams. Switching back to an 18-team league places the Süper Lig in the same club structure as the Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and Eredivisie, making the league more relatable internationally.
With the new plan to reduce the number of professional football teams, there’s increased pressure to avoid relegation by the end of the 2025/26 season. The season is expected to feature more competitive play, spurring intense fan engagement and driving more local and international television and business deals.
