Kenan Yıldız: The Star of Türkiye

After traveling from Istanbul to Milan and then taking a train to Turin, we finally arrive at the Juventus FC studio. There is a palpable excitement in the air. This is not just any cover shoot. It is one destined to make history not only for Vogue Türkiye but across the global Vogue network. Kenan is the first man and the first footballer to appear on the main cover of Vogue Türkiye. He is also among the rare footballers to grace a global Vogue cover on his own. More significantly, he is the first globally recognized talent of Turkish heritage to take over our magazine’s main cover.

Denim bomber jacket, poplin shirt, and silk tie by ETRO

As we review the Etro looks carefully selected from the brand’s Milan boutique the day before, we receive word that our cover star is on his way to the studio. The atmosphere on set shifts instantly; anticipation sharpens everyone’s pace. Then Kenan walks in—all 1.87 meters of him, aura included. With a warm smile, he greets every person in the room, from the lighting crew to the assistants. He wears a simple white T-shirt and sweatpants bearing his team’s crest. Relaxed, natural, and quietly confident. He is passionate about fashion, yet approaches it with ease. “For me, fashion is less about trying too hard or fitting into a mold,” he says, “and more about expressing my personality.”

After a quick two-minute shave he performs himself, he settles into the stylist’s chair. Time is limited. Between an intense training schedule and team camp commitments, he has been able to dedicate only four hours to this historic shoot. Once the cameras start rolling, the photographer, fashion editor, assistants, makeup artist, and I surround him. Some adjust his clothes or hair, some give directions, others capture backstage footage. Watching him, I notice how composed and focused he remains amid this carefully orchestrated chaos. It is as though he has brought his football intelligence into the studio. Just as he can keep his eyes on the ball while instinctively tracking both opponents and teammates—making multiple decisions within a single second—he seems equally aware here. Even while looking toward the lens, he follows everyone around him from the corner of his eye, instantly translating every instruction into a pose. Then, suddenly, a supermodel emerges. It is impossible to imagine that this remarkably photogenic young man, whose reflexes seem finely tuned to the world beyond the viewfinder, spent the first half of his day in demanding training sessions and the hours after that signing autographs for crowds causing near chaos at the Juventus store just down the road.

Suede jacket, denim trousers, silk scarf, and leather shoes by ETRO. Ribbed tank top belongs to the fashion editor.

“Dreams Need Rest Too”

Regensburg, Germany. A winter night where every breath turns to mist and hangs in the air. Engin Yıldız arrives at the neighborhood football field straight from work, still wearing the fatigue of the day and carrying a suit on his back. “Come on, son. One last shot, then we’ll go home.” But the word “last” does not exist in young Kenan’s vocabulary. “He would chase the ball for hours without any concept of time,” Engin recalls, drifting back into memory. “That final shot was never actually the final one because there was only one thing he wanted in life: to keep playing.” Back then, he was simply a father watching his son play for empty stands and dribble past imaginary defenders. He was not imagining he was raising a future global star. His goal was to protect his child’s dreams from pressure and nurture his love for football. “Even dreams need rest in order to become stronger,” he would say, finding creative ways to get his son home at midnight. Today, that same child carries not only the hopes of Italian giants Juventus FC but also those of millions as a key player for Türkiye’s National Team. Kenan Yıldız is living the future he once promised himself.

Knitted top, woven leather belt, and tailored trousers by ETRO

As a young boy, he walked through the enormous gates of Juventus FC. Wearing the club’s jersey, he found the net in Serie A and the Coppa Italia. When he shone on the UEFA Champions League stage, his name reached not only the stands but also headlines around the world. He steadily climbed the rankings for the Golden Boy Award, one of football’s most prestigious honors for young talent. In 2024, he received the fan-voted Golden Boy Web Award. In 2025, he was ranked among Europe’s top five young talents. With the star-shaped celebration he forms with his hands and his iconic tribute to his idol Alessandro Del Piero, he has become more than a gifted athlete. He has grown into one of the names destined to shape football’s future.

Responsibility comes naturally to him. It is a quality nurtured within the warmth of a close-knit family. Learning to be observed, to see oneself through the eyes of others, is difficult at any age. At just 21, Kenan possesses the confidence of someone who never compromises who he is and has the courage to look inward. Yet there is no arrogance in that confidence—only humble pride, deep gratitude, and the quiet glow of achievement.

Linen jacket, linen trousers, embroidered shirt, and leather loafers by ETRO

A Family Tradition: Being a Good Person

Family is one of the two defining words of his life. Alongside him stands his mother, who has carried the weight behind football’s glamorous, camera-filled world every step of the way. Beate Hackl Yıldız raised her son under the immense pressures of elite academies and major clubs. “I think the hardest part was watching him grow up so quickly,” she says candidly. “Football at that level brings enormous pressure from a very young age, and as a mother, your instinct is always to protect your child. But we also knew how much he loved football. So while trying to maintain a normal family life, we stood behind his dreams every step of the way.”

Today, when Kenan walks onto the world’s biggest stages, he draws strength from the two people who stand behind him like an unshakable fortress. He is a remarkable synthesis of the flawless German discipline inherited from his mother and the deep-rooted Turkish passion passed down from his father, whose family journey stretched from Afyonkarahisar to Germany. When I ask about the hand gesture displaying his surname that he strikes so effortlessly during our shoot, he smiles. “It came very naturally,” he explains. “Since my surname is Yıldız, there was already something deeply personal in that gesture. I wanted a celebration that was simple, memorable, and represented both me and my roots. That star sign symbolizes my name, my family, Türkiye, and the little dream I had as a child.”

Suede jacket, denim trousers, silk scarf, and leather shoes by ETRO. Ribbed tank top belongs to the fashion editor.

That dream may have been small, but his humility remains unmistakable. To his mother, he is still the sensitive child who noticed people long before the world learned his name. “When I think about the beauty of his heart, football isn’t the first thing that comes to mind,” she says. “I think about the small acts of kindness in everyday life.” She shares a memory that remains vivid. “He was just a child. After an exhausting training session, he noticed a lonely, upset boy sitting by himself. He wanted to go home, but instead he stopped, sat beside him, talked to him, and tried to make him smile. It may have seemed like a small gesture, but to me it meant everything.” As she speaks, her eyes brighten. “Of course we’re proud of him as a footballer, but what matters most to me is that he has remained a good person. If he sees someone struggling, his first instinct is to go to them and be there for them. That’s what I mean when I say he has a pure heart. Before the world knew him as a footballer, we knew him as that child—a respectful, kind-hearted, wonderful boy.”

When the intensity of football becomes exhausting and he removes the weight of the jersey from his shoulders, he returns to the same source of comfort. Not grand mansions or luxury restaurants. For Kenan, peace lies in the aroma of a homemade plate of meatballs and rice prepared by his mother, in playful moments with his father, or beside a quiet stretch of coastline with his family. “Usually, being with my family or the people closest to me is enough,” he says. “In those moments, football fades into the background and I feel like that little boy from Regensburg again.” His bond with fellow national team players Arda Güler and Hakan Çalhanoğlu extends beyond the pitch—a friendship built on shared experiences and similar expectations. “We have a great group,” he says. “Especially Hakan, Arda, and all my teammates. There’s a very natural and strong connection between us because we’ve all grown up facing similar expectations. We joke around a lot, spend time together, and try to keep things as normal as possible.”

And what about love? When the conversation turns to relationships and whether it is difficult to explore romance under constant public scrutiny, he answers thoughtfully. “Protecting your private life isn’t always easy because football attracts a huge amount of attention. But I think it’s important to keep certain things to yourself.” His parents’ wish is simple: above all, they hope he finds an honest partner. “Our only wish is for someone honest, calm, and supportive,” says Engin. “Someone who brings him peace and loves him not because he is a footballer, but because of who he truly is.”

T-shirt, denim trousers, and leather belt by ETRO

To Championships...

Back in Istanbul, my team and I review hundreds of photographs. It is remarkable: among this vast digital archive, there are hardly any unusable frames. A footballer achieving the cultural influence of a fashion authority is rare; history offers only a handful of examples. Yet it is increasingly clear that Kenan’s future holds more than victories on the pitch. A long journey toward the heights of fashion also lies ahead. As an editor-in-chief, bringing a young talent from our country into the world of high fashion is deeply meaningful. Featuring a national footballer in the red-and-white jersey on covers that mark several firsts in our publishing history is an entirely different source of pride. Because Kenan is not only the pride of Engin Yıldız, who once said, “Leaving Türkiye and building a new life in Germany was not easy.” He is also the pride of Türkiye itself. “The moments when he wears the national team jersey are incredibly emotional and unforgettable for me,” says his father. “I feel that our story has come together beautifully and has now come full circle.”

In the days ahead, Kenan Yıldız will once again step onto the field wearing the Crescent-and-Star jersey at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. As he runs toward victory, his compass will always point toward what is good and toward the place he belongs. And we will watch in admiration, Turkish flags in hand and an indescribable sense of pride in our hearts. Run, son, run. To many more goals, victories, and championships.https://staging.vogue.com.tr/gundem/kenan-yildiz-vogue-turkey

GALERİYE BAK