İlkay Gündoğan (born 24 October 1990, Gelsenkirchen) is a former German international footballer of Turkish descent. Playing as a central midfielder, Gündoğan has worn the jerseys of Borussia Dortmund, Manchester City, Barcelona and Galatasaray during his career. With Manchester City, he won a total of 14 trophies including five Premier League titles and one UEFA Champions League, captaining the team to victory in the 2022-23 Champions League final.^【1】

^{İlkay Gündoğan (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

İlkay Gündoğan was born on 24 October 1990 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, to a family of Turkish immigrants. He began his football career in 1993 in the youth academy of SV Heßler 06, the club of his hometown.^【2】His childhood dream was to play for Schalke 04, his family’s beloved club. At age eight, Gündoğan attended Schalke’s trials but was rejected due to his height. The rejection was a profound disappointment for him, as despite his technical ability and talent, he was not given a chance to progress in Schalke’s youth system due to the emphasis on physical attributes in younger age groups. This setback left deep psychological scars that would influence him in later years.

After being rejected, Gündoğan returned to SV Heßler 06 and later played for SSV Buer 07/28 and VfL Bochum’s youth academies. In 2005, at the age of 15, he joined Bochum’s academy, where his vision, skill, and goal-scoring ability began to attract attention.

İlkay Gündoğan is in a relationship with his wife Sara. As of September 2024, the couple have a son named Kais, who is 18 months old. In September 2024, they announced they are expecting their second child. Gündoğan has stated that he strives for excellence in every aspect of his life, expressing this philosophy with the words: "Striving for excellence is important and I do it. Whether you believe it or not, I am still tense even during training".^【3】

Gündoğan’s cousin Naz Aydemir is a professional volleyball player who represented the Turkish national team at the 2012 and 2021 Summer Olympics.^【4】

In addition to his football career, Gündoğan is known for his philanthropic work. In early 2021, he began supporting the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), using his public profile to raise awareness and funds for refugees. He supported UNHCR’s campaign to assist refugees in Middle Eastern countries facing harsh winter conditions and contributed to the "Aiming Higher" initiative, which raised scholarships for refugee children. A refugee scholarship recipient from Uganda appeared on Gündoğan’s social media platforms and shared how the scholarship transformed his life. Gündoğan has emphasized that his family instilled in him from a young age the importance of education, stating: "At this moment, only 3% of young refugees have access to higher education. Losing your home, being forced to flee because of conflict, war or persecution is hard enough; losing access to education and a future is a double blow".^【5】

In the same year, following devastating floods in Germany and wildfires in Türkiye, he donated to tree-planting campaigns and contributed personal items such as jerseys and shoes to environmental sustainability programs.^【6】

^{İlkay Gündoğan (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

Gündoğan began his professional career at Nürnberg in 2008, making his true breakthrough during the 2009–10 season. The young player made his debut in March 2010 and played a key role in Nürnberg’s rise to sixth place in the Bundesliga during the 2010–11 season. This performance earned him selection for the German U19 and U21 national teams. Under manager Michael Oenning, he was described as a "real number 10". To this day, he still identifies primarily as a Nürnberg supporter.

In May 2011, Gündoğan transferred to Borussia Dortmund for a fee of €4 million, brought in to replace the club’s star playmaker Nuri Şahin. Head coach Jürgen Klopp described him as having "a superb attitude, intelligence and a willingness to learn".^【7】

In his first season at Dortmund, Gündoğan made 36 appearances and scored four goals, contributing to the team’s double triumph in the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal.^【8】In the 2012–13 season, he played in all 12 of Dortmund’s UEFA Champions League matches as they reached the final, scoring from the penalty spot against Bayern Munich. This was his third Champions League final appearance; he had previously lost with Dortmund in 2013, with Manchester City against Chelsea in 2021, and won with City against Inter Milan in 2023.^【9】

On 13 August 2013, during the opening match of the season, Gündoğan suffered a serious back injury that kept him off the pitch for 14 months. Due to spinal issues, he repeatedly postponed surgery and feared he might never play again. He returned to action in October 2014 but suffered a knee injury in training 18 months later, which caused him to miss the 2016 UEFA European Championship.^【10】

Pep Guardiola’s arrival as Manchester City manager in 2016 was followed by his first signing: İlkay Gündoğan, acquired on 2 June 2016 for €27 million. This transfer demonstrated Guardiola’s high regard for the German midfielder. Gündoğan said of the move: "When I learned of City’s interest, my heart was already leaning toward joining".^【11】

Although his first season at City was cut short by a serious knee injury sustained in a match against Watford in December 2016, he became a mainstay of the team in subsequent years. Appointed team captain in 2022, Gündoğan fulfilled the role with calm, thoughtful and intelligent leadership. Guardiola described him as: "not the noisiest in the dressing room, but when he speaks, everyone listens".^【12】

^{İlkay Gündoğan (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

Over seven seasons with Manchester City, Gündoğan made 304 appearances, scoring 60 goals, and won a total of 14 trophies: five Premier League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups, two Community Shields and one UEFA Champions League. He ranks among the most decorated foreign players in English football history.^【13】In particular, he played in the 2022–23 Champions League final as captain, leading City to a 1–0 victory over Inter Milan and lifting the trophy. This was his final match wearing the Manchester City jersey.^【14】

Gündoğan cites one of the most important moments of his City career as the match on the final day of the 2021–22 season, when he scored two goals against Aston Villa to secure the Premier League title for the team. He also remembers his two spectacular volleys from outside the penalty area against Manchester United as unforgettable highlights.

At the start of the 2023–24 season, Gündoğan joined Barcelona on a free transfer, spending one season with the Catalan club under manager Xavi Hernández. He became the last defender to win the Champions League with Barcelona, following in the footsteps of Deco, who achieved the same feat with Porto in 2004.^【15】

After one season at Barcelona, Gündoğan returned to Manchester City for the 2024–25 season, expressing his emotions by saying: "It feels wonderful to come home". In his second spell, he made 54 appearances, bringing his total City career matches to 358 and his goals to 65.^【16】

On 2 September 2025, Galatasaray announced that they had signed İlkay Gündoğan to a two-year contract. Gündoğan said negotiations began in June and that he had shown little interest in other offers, emphasizing his strong desire to join Galatasaray. Upon arriving in Istanbul, he stated: "We have returned to our home. It is a tremendous honor to become part of the Galatasaray family".^【17】

^{İlkay Gündoğan (}Anadolu Ajansı⁾

Gündoğan has said that as a child he watched Galatasaray’s Champions League matches on television and dreamed of one day playing for the club in European competition. With this transfer, he says that dream has come true.^【18】He also noted that his conversation with Galatasaray head coach Okan Buruk played a decisive role in his decision. Addressing the fans, Gündoğan said: "I want to thank you deeply for the love you have shown me. Support us as strongly as you can throughout the season. If you make us feel your passion on the pitch, we will give even more. I hope we will together sign many great achievements."

İlkay Gündoğan made his debut for the German national team in October 2011 against Belgium.^【19】He earned 82 caps for Germany, scoring 19 goals. He represented the nation at two FIFA World Cups (2018, 2022) and two UEFA European Championships (2012, 2020). He missed the 2014 World Cup due to a back injury and the 2016 European Championship due to a knee injury. In August 2024, he announced the end of his international career.^【21】