İzmir is best known in football circles as the birthplace of Alpay Özalan, but the city has produced 222 documented association football players in total. Other notable players include Semih Şentürk, Çağlar Söyüncü, Metin Oktay and Necati Ateş. Among them are 215 male and 7 female players. Documented players span more than 107 years, from 1902 to 2009.