Trabzonspor and Konyaspor will face off in Antalya on Friday with the 64th Ziraat Turkish Cup set to crown its new champion, as two clubs with sharply different cup histories chase the same prize under the floodlights of Corendon Airlines Park.
The final brings down the curtain on a competition that has been part of Turkish football’s structure since the 1962-63 season, evolving through eras and formats before returning to its modern identity.
Across six decades, the tournament has built a reputation for unpredictability, producing 16 different winners and a long list of dramatic finals decided by narrow margins, extra time or penalties.
This year’s showdown pits tradition against resurgence.
Trabzonspor arrive with one of the competition’s strongest resumes.
The Black Sea club have reached 17 finals and lifted the trophy nine times, placing them third in the all-time rankings behind only Istanbul’s dominant giants.
Their history in the competition is decorated with multiple golden eras, from the late 1970s breakthrough to the early 2000s consistency and the 2019-20 triumph that ended a 10-year wait.
Yet recent seasons have added a sharper edge to their ambition.
Back-to-back final defeats in 2023-24 and 2024-25 have left Trabzonspor stuck just short of adding a 10th cup, turning this final into more than a title chase.
It is also a response to near misses, with pressure building on a squad that continues to reach decisive stages but has struggled to finish the job in recent campaigns.
On the other side, Konyaspor arrive with a very different profile.
Their cup history is brief but efficient. One final appearance, one trophy.
That came in 2016-17 when they held Başakşehir through regulation and extra time before winning on penalties, a result that remains the defining night in the club’s modern history.
Since then, Konyaspor have built a reputation for difficult, disciplined knockout football capable of unsettling stronger opponents.
That reputation has again carried them through this season’s competition, where they have navigated a demanding path that included victories over higher-profile rivals.
Their presence in another final underlines their growing identity as a team built for one-off matches, even if their league consistency has often told a different story.
The wider backdrop of the competition highlights just how rare sustained dominance has been.
Galatasaray stand alone at the top of the honours list with 19 Turkish Cup titles from 24 finals, setting the benchmark for success in the tournament.
Behind them, Beşiktaş, Trabzonspor and Fenerbahçe form the traditional core of winners, but the spread of champions over the years shows how the competition regularly opens the door to surprise runs.
That pattern is part of what makes this final difficult to frame. While Trabzonspor carry pedigree and expectation, Konyaspor carry momentum and freedom. One side is expected to win, the other has already proven it can survive pressure moments when the stakes rise.
The two clubs have already tested each other this season in league play, trading narrow victories in matches that offered little separation between them. That adds another layer of tension to a final that is unlikely to be defined by dominance, but rather by moments, transitions and set pieces.
Trabzonspor’s motivation also extends beyond silverware. Head coach Fatih Tekke is chasing his first major trophy since taking charge, guiding a squad that has reached finals but not crossed the line in recent seasons. For a club built on strong expectations, another defeat at this stage would deepen an uncomfortable trend of near success without completion.
Konyaspor, by contrast, step into the match with less external pressure and a clearer sense of opportunity. Their single previous triumph remains a reference point, but also a reminder of how rare these nights are. Another win would immediately place this squad alongside the most important in club history.
