Orkun Kökçü

Orkun Kökçü — Biography

Orkun Kökçü (born 29 December 2000 in Haarlem) is a Dutch-born Turkish international midfielder who currently captains Süper Lig side Beşiktaş. He came up through Feyenoord's academy, breaking into the first team in 2018, and went on to win the Dutch Super Cup in 2019 and the Eredivisie title in 2023, a season in which he was named both Eredivisie Player of the Year and Dutch Footballer of the Year.

On the back of that form he moved to Benfica in the summer of 2023 for a club-record €30 million, later wearing the captain's armband in Lisbon and winning the Portuguese Super Cup and League Cup. Following a clash with head coach Bruno Lage during the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, Kökçü returned to the Süper Lig in July 2025, joining Beşiktaş for another club-record €30 million fee, and was voted the league's Player of the Season by Sofascore for 2025-26.

At international level, Kökçü was first capped by Turkey under Şenol Güneş in 2020 and has since represented the country at the 2020 and 2024 European Championships and the 2026 World Cup, contributing 4 goals and 10 assists in 51 appearances.