Cenk Tosun was born on 7 June 1991 in the city of Wetzlar, in the German state of Hesse. He began his football career at the German club Raunheim. While still young, he joined the youth academy of Eintracht Frankfurt and signed his first professional contract there. He made only one appearance for Eintracht Frankfurt in the Bundesliga.
During the winter transfer window of the 2010–2011 season, he transferred to Gaziantepspor of the Turkish Süper Lig, along with his transfer rights. He completed his first season with 12 goals and 6 assists in 18 matches. Over his four-year tenure at Gaziantepspor, he appeared in 122 official matches, scoring 44 goals and providing 23 assists.
Following his performances at Gaziantepspor, Cenk Tosun transferred to Beşiktaş in the 2014–2015 season, along with his transfer rights. During his first period at Beşiktaş, he played for 3.5 seasons, appearing in 142 official matches and scoring 64 goals with 13 assists. In the 2016–2017 season, his 16 goals placed him at the top of the Süper Lig scoring race and enhanced Beşiktaş’s chances of becoming the first club to produce back-to-back league top scorers. That same season, he delivered a goal and an assist against Hapoel Beer-Sheva in the UEFA Europa League and was named Player of the Week by UEFA.
In January 2018, he transferred to English Premier League club Everton for a fee of 22 million euros. This transfer became one of the most expensive in Süper Lig history at the time. He made 61 appearances for Everton but struggled to secure regular playing time due to injuries. During this period, he was loaned to Crystal Palace for five matches in the 2019–2020 season and to Beşiktaş for four matches in the 2020–2021 season.
At the start of the 2022–2023 season, he rejoined Beşiktaş for the third time, without a transfer fee. During his second spell, he made over 85 appearances and, across his entire Beşiktaş career, played 227 matches, contributing directly to 126 goals with 96 goals and 30 assists. His contract with Beşiktaş ended on 16 July 2024, and the club publicly thanked him in an official statement.
Following his departure from Beşiktaş, he signed a two-year contract with Fenerbahçe in 2024. The transfer was officially announced by the club.
Although Cenk Tosun played for Germany’s youth national teams, he chose to represent the Türkiye national team in 2011. He made his senior international debut in 2013. He has made 53 appearances for Türkiye, scoring 21 goals. With this record, he shares fifth place on the all-time scoring list with Lefter Küçükandonyadis. He was part of the national team squads for UEFA EURO 2016 and UEFA EURO 2024. In EURO 2024, he became the oldest Turkish player ever to score at the European Championship, netting a goal against the Czech Republic at the age of 33 years and 19 days. Prior to the match against Austria in the round of 16 of the same tournament, he emphasized his responsibility to serve as a role model for younger players.
Cenk Tosun has played as a striker throughout his career, known for his effective heading ability and intelligent positioning inside the penalty area. He has occasionally scored goals of notable aesthetic quality.
Total Career Statistics (Generated by artificial intelligence.)
Birth and Early Years
Gaziantepspor Career (2010–2014)
First Spell at Beşiktaş (2014–2018)
Everton and Loan Spells (2018–2022)
Second Spell at Beşiktaş (2022–2024)
Fenerbahçe Career (2024–)
National Team Career
Playing Style and Characteristics
Career Statistics