Hamit Altıntop

Hamit Altıntop — Biography

Hamit Altıntop is a former Turkish professional footballer, born on 8 December 1982 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, where he grew up alongside his identical twin brother, Halil Altıntop, who also went on to play professional and international football. A versatile midfielder capable of playing in both defensive and attacking roles on either flank, he was known for his creative passing and powerful long-range shooting, and represented clubs including Schalke 04, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Galatasaray before finishing his career at Darmstadt 98.

With the Turkish national team, Altıntop was part of the squad that reached the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2008 and was subsequently named to the tournament's team of the competition. He won the 2010 FIFA Puskás Award for a long-range goal scored against Kazakhstan during Euro 2012 qualifying, and featured for Bayern Munich in the 2010 UEFA Champions League final against Inter Milan. He joined Real Madrid in 2011 before moving to Galatasaray a year later. After retiring as a player, Altıntop moved into football administration, serving on the Turkish Football Federation's board and overseeing national-team affairs between 2019 and 2024.