İlkay Gündoğan was born on 24 October 1990 in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, to Turkish parents. He came through the youth academy at VfL Bochum before moving to 1. FC Nürnberg in 2009 for his first senior football. A switch to Borussia Dortmund in 2011 marked his breakthrough at the highest level, where he won the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double in his debut season and scored a penalty in the 2013 UEFA Champions League final against Bayern Munich.
Gündoğan signed for Manchester City in 2016 and went on to make over 300 appearances for the club, winning five Premier League titles, four EFL Cups, two FA Cups, and the Champions League. Appointed club captain in 2022, he led City to a continental treble in the 2022–23 season — a campaign that included scoring the fastest goal in FA Cup final history, after just 12 seconds against Manchester United. After one season with Barcelona, he rejoined Manchester City in August 2024 on a one-year deal before moving to Galatasaray on a free transfer in September 2025.
A technically refined, box-to-box midfielder, Gündoğan combines intelligent movement with an eye for goal from deeper positions. At Galatasaray, he is expected to bring experience and leadership to the Süper Lig side.
On the international stage, Gündoğan made his senior debut for Germany in October 2011 and went on to captain the national team at UEFA Euro 2024. He represented his country at three World Cups (2018, 2022) and three European Championships (2012, 2020, 2024).