Ozan Kabak was born on 25 March 2000 in Ankara, Turkey. He is one of Turkey's most naturally gifted central defenders of his generation, coming through Galatasaray's youth academy before making an early move to Stuttgart in Germany in 2019, where he impressed immediately in the Bundesliga as a teenage centre-back.
His quality attracted Schalke 04, who signed him in the summer of 2019, and he went on to become one of the Bundesliga's most talked-about young defenders across the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons. Liverpool signed him on loan in January 2021 during an injury crisis in their defensive ranks, and Kabak performed creditably in the Premier League alongside Jordan Henderson and other senior figures, demonstrating that his ability was suited to the top level.
After his Liverpool loan he moved to Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga, continuing his development in Germany before exploring other options in European football. His career trajectory has seen him play at some of the most prominent clubs in Germany and England by the age of 21, marking him as one of Turkey's genuine European-level talents.
For Turkey he has been a regular in the national team from a young age, contributing to the squad's defensive shape under successive coaches. He was part of the Euro 2024 squad that reached the quarter-finals and remains one of the key younger defenders as Turkey competed in the 2026 World Cup.
At 26 during the 2026 tournament, Kabak is entering his prime years and represents Turkey's best hope of developing a centre-back capable of competing consistently at the highest European club level.