Istanbul Basaksehir

The roots of the club lie in the multi-sport organisation İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor (İstanbul BBSK), created in 1990 under mayor Nurettin Sözen when the municipality brought together the amateur sides of İETT, İtfaiyespor and İSKİ under one umbrella. The football team initially competed in the lower national divisions in the early 1990s and worked its way up the league ladder.

İstanbul BBSK earned promotion to the top flight for the first time at the end of the 2006–07 season, finishing in the automatic promotion places of Lig A (then the second tier). In their debut Süper Lig campaign they finished 12th in 2007–08, consolidating their status. Two seasons later the team recorded a 6th-place finish in 2009–10, the best league placing of the İstanbul BBSK era. In 2010–11, under head coach Abdullah Avcı, İstanbul BB matched their strongest league form and also reached the Turkish Cup final for the first time; they were beaten by Beşiktaş on penalties after a 2–2 draw (a.e.t.) at Kadir Has Stadium in Kayseri.

Relegation followed in 2012–13 after finishing 16th, sending the club back to the second tier. They made an immediate return as champions of the second tier in 2013–14, securing promotion back to the Süper Lig.

On 4 June 2014, the professional football branch was spun off from the municipality structure and reconstituted as a joint-stock company under the name İstanbul Başakşehir Futbol Kulübü, with Göksel Gümüşdağ appointed chairman. In its debut Süper Lig season as Başakşehir, the team finished 4th, qualifying for the UEFA Europa League qualifiers. In the 2015–16 season qualifiers, the team was eliminated by AZ Alkmaar but secured another 4th-place league finish. During the 2016–17 season, Başakşehir defeated Rijeka in the qualifiers but was eliminated by Shakhtar Donetsk before reaching the group stage.

In just their third season after rebranding, Başakşehir finished as runners-up in the 2016–17 Süper Lig. In the 2017–18 UEFA Champions League qualifiers, they defeated Club Brugge but were knocked out by Sevilla in the play-off round. They subsequently participated in the 2017–18 UEFA Europa League group stage, finishing 3rd in Group C. Domestically, Başakşehir finished the 2017–18 season in 3rd place. In the following season, Başakşehir was eliminated by Burnley in the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League qualifiers but secured a 2nd-place finish in the 2018–19 Süper Lig.

Ahead of the 2019–20 season, Başakşehir adopted the slogan “New Vision, Same Goal.” Although they were eliminated by Olympiacos in the 2019–20 UEFA Champions League play-off, they topped Group J in the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League, competing against Roma, Borussia Mönchengladbach, and Wolfsberger AC. They advanced to the Round of 32, defeating Sporting CP but were eliminated in the Round of 16 by Copenhagen.

On 19 July 2020, Başakşehir clinched their first Süper Lig title, sealing the championship with a 1–0 home win over Kayserispor on the penultimate matchday at the Başakşehir Fatih Terim Stadium. Coached by Okan Buruk, and led by figures such as Mahmut Tekdemir, Edin Višća, Demba Ba and Enzo Crivelli, Başakşehir became only the sixth club to win the competition and the fourth from Istanbul to lift the trophy, following Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe and Beşiktaş. The title also marked the first championship by a club outside the “Big Four” since Bursaspor in 2009–10 and secured a place in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers for the following season.

As champions they qualified directly for the UEFA Champions League group stage the following season. In the 2020–21 group stage, Başakşehir were drawn in Group H with Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and RB Leipzig, and finished fourth. The high point was a 2–1 home win over Manchester United in Istanbul. Their final match in Paris was abandoned after an incident involving the fourth official and resumed the next day with a new crew; Paris Saint-Germain won 5–1.

In 2020–21, Başakşehir struggled domestically after the title year and finished 12th in the league; manager Okan Buruk departed on 29 January 2021 and Aykut Kocaman was appointed on 1 February. In 2021–22, Emre Belözoğlu took charge in October and lifted the side to 4th place with 65 points and a European berth. In 2022–23, Başakşehir topped UEFA Europa Conference League Group A ahead of Fiorentina and Hearts and reached the Round of 16, where they were eliminated by Gent (1–1 away, 1–4 home); they finished 5th in the league.

On 18 February 2024, it was reported that City Football Group, the ownership group behind Manchester City, reached a partnership agreement with the club in order to improve their football strategy, recruitment, scouting and coaching methodology. This development marked a significant milestone for the club, aligning it with one of the most successful football group structures in the world. The deal is expected to enhance Başakşehir’s international presence and bolster its financial and operational capabilities.

After finishing the 2023–24 season in 4th place with 61 points, Başakşehir qualified for Europe. In 2024–25 they finished 5th in the Süper Lig on 54 points under head coach Çağdaş Atan. Atan then signed a new two-year deal with the club on 29 May 2025.