Kenan Yıldız

Who Is Kenan Yıldız?

Kenan Yıldız is a professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder and winger for Serie A giants Juventus. He wears the famous No. 10 shirt. He also represents the Turkish national team.

Yıldız was born on May 4, 2005, in Regensburg, Germany. He is Turkish-German. His father, Engin Yıldız, is Turkish. His mother, Beate Hackl, is German.

Kenan Yıldız is already one of the most exciting young footballers in Europe. He became Juventus’s youngest-ever Champions League goalscorer, surpassing the legendary Alessandro Del Piero. Moreover, in May 2026, he was named Serie A’s Best Under-23 Player for the 2025–26 season.

Furthermore, his transfer value stands at €85.9 million — a figure that reflects both his extraordinary talent and his enormous potential.

Early Life: From Regensburg to the World Stage

Family Roots and Childhood in Regensburg

Kenan Yıldız was born in the Bavarian city of Regensburg, Germany. His father is from Dinar, Afyonkarahisar in Turkey, while his mother is of German descent. Kenan’s football journey began at the age of 3, when his father took an active interest in his development.

Growing up in Regensburg, he absorbed both Turkish and German culture. This dual identity shaped his character. It also shaped an important career decision. Despite being eligible to represent Germany, Yıldız chose to represent Turkey — his father’s homeland and a country he deeply identifies with.

He speaks both Turkish and German fluently. Therefore, he bridges two footballing cultures with ease and pride.

The First Steps: SSV Jahn Regensburg

At the age of six and a half to seven, Kenan joined the youth academy of SSV Jahn Regensburg. It was his first structured football environment. However, it would not be long before much bigger clubs came calling.

Youth Career: A Decade at Bayern Munich

Joining Bayern Munich’s Academy (2012)

Kenan Yıldız joined Bayern Munich when he was eight years old. He rose through the ranks as a highly rated youngster.

He spent 11 years in Bayern Munich’s youth system. During that time, he developed into one of the most exciting prospects in German youth football. He captained teams, wore the No. 10 shirt, and consistently outperformed players older than him.

In his final year with Bayern’s U19s in the 2021–22 season, Yıldız contributed six goals and eight assists in 20 matches. These were outstanding numbers for a teenager at one of the world’s top academies.

Why He Left Bayern Munich

Despite his brilliance, Yıldız’s time at Bayern came to an unexpected end. Juventus promised Yıldız a permanent place in first-team training — something Bayern could not offer at that point.

His agent criticized Bayern, stating they “approached us too late for the renewal.” As a result, Bayern lost a generational talent on a free transfer.

There were numerous suitors vying for his signature, and it appeared he was Barcelona-bound. But he instead chose to join Juventus. It was a bold decision. It turned out to be the right one.

Club Career: Rising to the Top at Juventus

Juventus U19 and Next Gen (2022–2023)

On July 12, 2022, Juventus confirmed the signing of Yıldız. He initially joined the Juventus U19 squad.

At Juventus U19, he played 31 matches, scoring 12 goals and providing 7 assists. His performances were impossible to ignore. Therefore, he earned a promotion to Juventus Next Gen — the club’s reserve team — in March 2023.

Breaking Into the First Team (2023)

On December 23, 2023, Yıldız made his first Serie A start and scored a goal, becoming the youngest foreign goalscorer in Serie A history at the age of 18 years and 233 days.

That goal was a statement. It announced to Italian football that a new star had arrived.

The 2024–25 Season: Goal of the Season and Coppa Italia Glory

The 2024–25 season was a breakthrough year for Yıldız.

On January 11, 2025, he opened the Derby della Mole against Torino — a match that ended 1–1 — after dribbling past several opponents and netting from outside the area with his left foot. This goal was later voted the 2024–25 Serie A Goal of the Season.

He finished the 2024–25 season with seven league goals. Additionally, throughout his career at Juventus, he won the Coppa Italia in the 2023–24 season.

The 2025–26 Season: A Star in Full Flight

The 2025–26 season confirmed what everyone already suspected. Kenan Yıldız is genuinely world-class.

In the 2025–26 Serie A season, Kenan Yıldız made 36 appearances, starting 33 of them. He scored 10 goals and provided 7 assists across 2,844 minutes of football.

He was Juventus’s top goalscorer in both the league and across all competitions during the 2025–26 season.

In March 2026, Yıldız scored a goal in Serie A Matchday 28, helping Juventus defeat Pisa 4–0. This made him the third post-2005-born player in Europe’s top five leagues that season to contribute at least 5 goals and 5 assists.

Contract Extension Until 2030

On February 7, 2026, Juventus announced a contract extension tying Yıldız to the club until June 30, 2030. This deal shows the club’s total commitment to building its future around him.

His weekly wages are reported at €213,654, reflecting his status as one of Juventus’s highest-valued players.

2026–27 Season: Injury Setback

The 2026–27 season started well for Yıldız. However, he suffered a broken foot in August 2026, with an expected return date of early December 2026.

Despite the setback, Juventus and fans of Turkey remain confident in his return. His talent is too great to be kept off the pitch for long.

International Career: The Pride of Turkey

Youth Internationals

Yıldız represented Turkey at youth level before committing fully to the senior side. He represented Turkey U17 from 2021 to 2022, making 10 appearances and scoring 3 goals. He then represented Turkey U21 from 2022 to 2026, earning 8 caps and scoring 2 goals.

Senior Turkey Debut and First Goal Against Germany (November 2023)

On November 19, 2023, in an international friendly where Turkey defeated Germany 3–2 away, Yıldız made his debut for the Turkey national team and scored his debut goal.

Scoring against Germany — the country of his birth — on his international debut was a moment of powerful symbolism. It confirmed his identity as a proud Turkish footballer.

UEFA Euro 2024

In June 2024, Yıldız was selected for Turkey’s 26-man squad for UEFA Euro 2024. He represented his country at the tournament and gained invaluable experience at a major international competition.

World Cup Qualifying Goals: October 2025

On October 12, 2025, in matchday 7 of the FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Yıldız scored a brace as Turkey defeated Bulgaria 6–1. Three days later, on October 15, he scored again as Turkey defeated Georgia 4–1. These were crucial contributions that helped Turkey secure their place at the World Cup.

2026 FIFA World Cup

In June 2026, Yıldız was selected for Turkey’s squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Turkey were placed in Group D. Yıldız played three matches at the tournament. Turkey faced Australia, Paraguay, and the USA in the group stage. It was his first FIFA World Cup — and he was still only 21 years old.

As of September 2026, he has earned 31 senior caps for Turkey and scored 5 goals.

Playing Style: Elegance, Power, and Two Feet

Kenan Yıldız is a rare talent. He is both-footed. He is 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) tall. However, despite his height, he moves with the elegance and agility of a much smaller player.

He possesses sharp finishing instincts and intelligent movement, serving as Turkey’s primary attacking threat.

He can play as an attacking midfielder or as a left winger. This flexibility makes him extremely difficult to stop. Furthermore, his ability to score from outside the area — as shown in his Derby della Mole goal of the season — makes him a threat even when defenders have him well covered.

His influences include the great Juventus players who wore the No. 10 shirt before him. He carries that number with responsibility, skill, and pride.

Career Statistics Summary

Season	Club	Competition	Apps	Goals	Assists
2022–23	Juventus Next Gen	Serie C / B	14	2	—
2023–24	Juventus	Serie A	27	2	—
2024–25	Juventus	Serie A	35	7	2
2025–26	Juventus	Serie A	36	10	7
2026–27	Juventus	Serie A	1	0	0
Juventus Total			132	27	—

Year	Team	Competition	Caps	Goals
2021–22	Turkey U17	Youth	10	3
2022–26	Turkey U21	Youth	8	2
2023–	Turkey	Senior	31	5
2026	Turkey	FIFA World Cup	3	0

Personal Life: Private but Proud

Kenan Yıldız keeps his personal life private. He rarely speaks publicly about relationships. His social media presence focuses almost entirely on football and his love for Juventus and Turkey.

He is a deeply family-oriented person. His father, Engin Yıldız, was present at the beginning of his football journey, taking him to his first training sessions at the age of three. His mother, Beate Hackl, gave him his connection to Germany and a bicultural upbringing that shaped his worldview.

He has dual nationality — both Turkish and German. However, his footballing heart belongs to Turkey.