Turkish Super Lig to feature 18 clubs from 2025-26 season: Football Federation

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has announced that the total number of professional football teams in Türkiye will be gradually reduced to 120.

As part of this restructuring, the Super Lig—Türkiye’s top-tier football league—will consist of 18 clubs starting with the 2025–26 season.

In a statement released Wednesday, following a board meeting at the Hasan Dogan National Teams Training Facility in Riva, the TFF confirmed that the current number of professional teams, which stands at 139, will be reduced over time to improve financial sustainability and competitive balance.

The decision comes after years of fluctuation in team numbers, largely due to extraordinary circumstances.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the relegation system was suspended upon request from the Clubs Association, and as a result, the number of professional teams rose sharply from 125 in the 2019–20 season to 145 in 2020–21.

The Super Lig alone saw an increase to 21 teams.

Although a phased reduction plan had been proposed in the years that followed, the devastating earthquakes in 2023, which forced some clubs to withdraw from their leagues, prevented its full implementation.

Key changes

• Super Lig: Will feature 18 clubs from the 2025–2026 season.
• This season (2024–25): Four teams will be relegated from the Super Lig to the 1. Lig.
• Starting next season (2025–26): Three teams will be relegated per season.
• Overall goal: Reduce the number of professional teams in Türkiye from 139 to 120 over several seasons.

This decision aims to increase club revenues and create a stronger competitive environment across all divisions. The number of teams will be gradually reduced in accordance with the promotion and relegation structure outlined in the accompanying season-by-season visual chart.

Turkish Football Federation