Galatasaray Spor Kulübü is a Turkish sports club based in Istanbul, best known for its football team. It was founded in 1905 by Ali Sami Yen and his classmates from Galatasaray High School. The club quickly became one of the leading forces in Turkish football and is part of the “Big Three” of Istanbul, alongside Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş.
Galatasaray is the most successful Turkish football team in European competitions. In 2000, they won the UEFA Cup (now Europa League) and the UEFA Super Cup, becoming the first and only Turkish club to win major European trophies. Domestically, they have won more than 20 Süper Lig titles, numerous Turkish Cups, and Turkish Super Cups.
The team plays its home matches at Rams Park (officially known as RAMS Global Stadium due to sponsorship), located in the Seyrantepe neighborhood of Istanbul. The stadium opened in 2011 and has a capacity of around 52,000. Before that, the club played for decades at Ali Sami Yen Stadium in Mecidiyeköy.
Istanbul, the city Galatasaray represents, is Turkey’s largest city and a historic crossroads between Europe and Asia. The rivalry between Galatasaray and other Istanbul clubs, especially Fenerbahçe, is among the fiercest in world football.