1. Early life and background
Kenan Karaman was born on March 5, 1994, in Stuttgart, Germany. His early football education began at various local youth clubs. He developed through the ranks, spending time at MTV Stuttgart and VfB Stuttgart. He later joined the youth setup of Stuttgarter Kickers, where he played until 2009. From 2009 to 2012, Karaman continued his youth development at Hoffenheim before making his senior debut.
2. Club career
Kenan Karaman's club career began in youth academies, progressing to professional leagues in Germany and Turkey.
2.1. Youth career
Karaman's youth development included stints at several German clubs. He first played for MTV Stuttgart and then for VfB Stuttgart. Subsequently, he joined Stuttgarter Kickers, where he trained and played until 2009. His final youth club was Hoffenheim, where he was part of their academy from 2009 to 2012, setting the stage for his professional career.
2.2. Senior club career
Karaman has played for several prominent clubs, primarily in Germany, including TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, Hannover 96, Fortuna Düsseldorf, and FC Schalke 04, as well as a period in Turkey with Beşiktaş J.K..
He began his senior career at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, where he made five Bundesliga appearances in the 2013-14 season without scoring. Prior to this, he also played for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim II, the club's reserve team, making 26 appearances and scoring 9 goals in the 2012-13 season.
On April 29, 2014, Karaman signed a pre-contract agreement with Hannover 96, effective July 1, 2014. As his contract at Hoffenheim had expired, he joined Hannover on a free transfer, signing a three-year deal that lasted until 2017. During his time at Hannover, he made 11 appearances in the 2014-15 Bundesliga season. In the 2015-16 season, he played 23 league matches, scoring 3 goals, and also made 1 appearance for Hannover 96 II, scoring 2 goals. Towards the end of the 2015-16 season, Karaman suffered a thigh muscle injury, and the team was relegated to the 2. Bundesliga. He continued with Hannover in the second division, making 31 appearances and scoring 6 goals in the 2016-17 season, contributing to their return to the top flight. In his final season with Hannover, the 2017-18 Bundesliga season, he played 22 matches and scored 1 goal. Overall, he made 87 appearances and scored 10 goals across all competitions for Hannover 96.
On May 18, 2018, Karaman moved to newly promoted Fortuna Düsseldorf from the 2. Bundesliga on a free transfer, signing a three-year deal. He was assigned the number 11 shirt. For Fortuna Düsseldorf, he played 21 Bundesliga matches and scored 3 goals in the 2018-19 season. In the 2019-20 season, he scored 6 goals in 20 Bundesliga appearances. Following their relegation, he played 28 matches in the 2020-21 2. Bundesliga season, scoring 7 goals. He departed Fortuna Düsseldorf upon the expiration of his contract on May 24, 2021. In total, he made 69 league appearances and scored 16 goals for Fortuna Düsseldorf.
Following his departure from Fortuna Düsseldorf, Karaman joined Süper Lig club Beşiktaş J.K. for the 2021-22 season. He made 25 league appearances, scoring 2 goals. He also participated in the UEFA Champions League, playing 5 matches, and the Turkish Super Cup.
On September 1, 2022, Karaman signed a three-year contract with Bundesliga side Schalke 04. In the 2022-23 season, he played 21 Bundesliga matches, scoring 1 goal. After Schalke's relegation, he had a prolific season in the 2023-24 2. Bundesliga, scoring 13 goals in 29 appearances. On July 5, 2024, he extended his contract with Schalke 04 until 2028. At the beginning of the 2024-25 season, he was appointed the team's captain under head coach Karel Geraerts. He typically wears the number 19 shirt for Schalke.
3. International career
Kenan Karaman has represented Turkey at various youth levels before making his senior international debut. He played for the U-18, U-19, U-20, and U-21 national teams.
He made his senior debut for the Turkey national football team in a friendly 2-0 loss to Romania on November 9, 2017. He has since become a regular for the national team, participating in major tournaments such as UEFA Euro 2020. As of November 16, 2021, he had made 31 appearances and scored 6 goals for the senior national team.
4. Career statistics
The following table details Kenan Karaman's club appearances and goals, including national cup competitions (such as the DFB-Pokal and Turkish Cup), European competitions (including UEFA Champions League appearances), and other competitions (such as the Turkish Super Cup).
4.1. Club statistics
As of match played 26 January 2025
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Europe | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| 1899 Hoffenheim II | 2012-13 | Regionalliga | 26 | 9 | - | - | - | 26 | 9 | |||
| 1899 Hoffenheim | 2013-14 | Bundesliga | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 5 | 0 | ||
| Hannover 96 | 2014-15 | Bundesliga | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 11 | 0 | ||
| 2015-16 | Bundesliga | 23 | 3 | 1 | 1 | - | - | 24 | 4 | |||
| 2016-17 | 2. Bundesliga | 31 | 6 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 34 | 6 | |||
| 2017-18 | Bundesliga | 22 | 1 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 24 | 2 | |||
| Total | 87 | 10 | 6 | 2 | - | - | 93 | 12 | ||||
| Hannover II | 2015-16 | Regionalliga | 6 | 2 | - | - | - | 6 | 2 | |||
| Fortuna Düsseldorf | 2018-19 | Bundesliga | 21 | 3 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 22 | 3 | ||
| 2019-20 | Bundesliga | 20 | 6 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 21 | 6 | |||
| 2020-21 | 2. Bundesliga | 28 | 7 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 29 | 7 | |||
| Total | 69 | 16 | 3 | 0 | - | - | 72 | 16 | ||||
| Beşiktaş | 2021-22 | Süper Lig | 25 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 33 | 2 |
| 2022-23 | Süper Lig | 2 | 0 | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 27 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 35 | 2 | ||
| Schalke 04 | 2022-23 | Bundesliga | 21 | 1 | 1 | 0 | - | - | 22 | 1 | ||
| 2023-24 | 2. Bundesliga | 29 | 13 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 31 | 14 | |||
| 2024-25 | 2. Bundesliga | 18 | 11 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 20 | 12 | |||
| Total | 68 | 25 | 5 | 2 | - | - | 73 | 27 | ||||
| Career total | 288 | 64 | 16 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 310 | 68 | ||
4.2. International statistics
| National team | Season | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | |||
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2019 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2020 | 7 | 3 | |
| 2021 | 14 | 2 | |
| Total | 31 | 6 | |
4.2.1. International goals
Scores and results list Turkey's goal tally first.
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 30 May 2019 | New Antalya Stadium, Antalya, Turkey | Greece | 2-0 | 2-1 | Friendly |
| 2. | 7 October 2020 | RheinEnergieStadion, Cologne, Germany | Germany | 3-3 | 3-3 | |
| 3. | 11 October 2020 | VTB Arena, Moscow, Russia | Russia | 1-1 | 1-1 | 2020-21 UEFA Nations League B |
| 4. | 15 November 2020 | Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey | 1-1 | 3-2 | ||
| 5. | 30 March 2021 | Atatürk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul, Turkey | Latvia | 1-0 | 3-3 | 2022 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 6. | 4 September 2021 | Victoria Stadium, Gibraltar | Gibraltar | 3-0 | 3-0 |
5. Honours
Beşiktaş
- Turkish Super Cup: 2021