Kerim Çalhanoğlu

Kerim Çalhanoğlu — Biography

Born on August 26, 2002, in Mannheim, Germany, German-Turkish footballer Kerim Çalhanoğlu began his youth career at SC Pfingstberg-Hochstätt and VfL Neckarau before moving to Waldhof Mannheim in 2015 and to Hoffenheim's academy the following year. He joined Schalke 04's under-19 side in mid-2020, was promoted to the first team that October, and made his Bundesliga debut against Mainz 05 in March 2021, winning the 2. Bundesliga title with the club in the 2021-22 season. He spent the first half of 2023 on loan at Sandhausen before agreeing to join Greuther Furth that summer.

A cousin of Turkey international Hakan Çalhanoğlu and the older brother of fellow footballer Turan Çalhanoğlu, with whom he came up through the same youth academies, Kerim represented Turkey at under-16 level before switching allegiance to Germany, going on to play for the German under-16, under-17 and under-19 sides and featuring at the 2019 UEFA European Under-17 Championship. In September 2025 he moved to Croatian club HNK Vukovar 1991, and in July 2026 he signed with Gaziantep FK, returning to play in Turkey's Super Lig.