With the international break kicking in, Fenerbahçe’s dressing room has turned unusually quiet – with 12 players jetting off to represent their nations across Europe, Africa and South America.
The Istanbul giants wrapped up Week 8 of the Süper Lig with a goalless draw against Samsunspor, closing the round with 15 points.
Despite a recent UEFA Europa League victory, the stalemate marked a frustrating league setback for Domenico Tedesco’s side.
Yet, for many of Fenerbahçe’s stars, there’s no time to rest – the call of international duty awaits.
6 Crescent-Stars
National team coach Vincenzo Montella named six Fenerbahçe players in his Türkiye squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers.
Among them are Çağlar Söyüncü, Mert Müldür, İsmail Yüksek, İrfan Can Kahveci, Oğuz Aydın and Kerem Aktürkoğlu.
Türkiye will face Bulgaria away on Oct. 11, before hosting Georgia in Kocaeli on Oct. 14 as they chase a strong start in Group E.
Meanwhile, 21-year-old defender Yiğit Efe Demir earned a call-up to the U-21 national team, which will meet Lithuania on Oct. 10 and Hungary on Oct. 14 in the 2027 UEFA European U-21 Championship qualifiers.
International troops
Across Europe, several foreign Fenerbahçe players will play pivotal roles for their nations.
Milan Škriniar, captain of Slovakia, leads a side that shocked Germany in their opening qualifier.
Sitting top of Group A with six points, Slovakia visit Northern Ireland on October 10 before hosting Luxembourg three days later – matches that could cement their lead.
In Group G, Sebastian Szymanski will again pull the strings for Poland, who face Lithuania in their sole October fixture.
Poland, tied on 10 points with the Netherlands, continue their tight race for group supremacy.
Semedo returns, En-Nesyri eyes another win
After missing September’s qualifiers through injury, Nelson Semedo returns to the Portugal squad.
The 31-year-old right back joins Roberto Martínez’s side for clashes against Ireland and Hungary, with Portugal leading their group after two straight wins.
In Africa, Youssef En-Nesyri’s Morocco – already qualified for the finals – will face Bahrain in a warm-up before meeting Congo on Oct. 14.
The Atlas Lions, unbeaten with seven wins, aim to maintain their dominance.
Mali and Nene chasing playoff hopes
Fenerbahçe winger Dorgeles Nene has been called up by Mali, who remain in contention for a playoff spot in Group I of the African qualifiers.
With 12 points from eight games, Mali trail second-placed Madagascar by four.
They’ll play Chad on Oct. 8 and Madagascar on October 12, targeting six crucial points to stay alive in the World Cup race.
Injury setback for Ederson
Not all news was positive for the Yellow Canaries. Brazilian goalkeeper Ederson, initially selected for Brazil’s friendlies against South Korea and Japan, was forced to withdraw due to a hamstring bleed detected before the Samsunspor match.
The 31-year-old has begun treatment in Istanbul and is expected to focus on full recovery before club action resumes.