 Nyorai kupfuurira kweiyi ndima - Özalan akaita 87 kuoneka kwechikwata chenyika yeTurkey, achiisa mambure mana nguva. Zvitatu zvezvinangwa izvozvo zvaiva zvibodzwa zvitatu zvaakarova achipesana neMacedonia mumutambo wokukwanisa kuenda kuFIFA World Cup ya2002. Akanga ari mumwe wevatambi vakanakisisa munyika yake mu2002 FIFA World Cup, apo chikwata chakasvika panzvimbo yechitatu isina kumboitika mumutambo. Özalan akaonekwawo kuTurkey muEuro 1996, Euro 2000uye 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup. Chimwe chiitiko chisingakanganwiki mubasa raOzalan chakanga chakapesana zvikuru nemukurumbira wake wose chaiva panguva yeEuro 1996 mumutambo pakati peCroatia neTurkey. Mukurwisa, akabvumidza muCroatia Goran Vlaović kudonhedza bhora hafu yenhandare pasina kumupa mhosva yekumisa kurwisa. Somugumisiro, Vlaović akarova chinangwa chimwe chete chemutambo uye Turkey yakarasikirwa. Özalan akapihwa mubairo we fair-play nekuda kwechiito chake. Musi wa 24 Chikumi 2000, akadzingwa panguva yehafu yekutanga yeEuro 2000 kota-fainari vachipesana nePortugal, iyo nyika yake yakarasikirwa ne 2 0. Mutambo wake wekupedzisira waive neSwitzerland mumutambo wechipiri we2006 FIFA World Cup muIstanbul, achibvuma chirango cheminiti yechipiri nebhora remaoko, rakashandurwa naAlexander Frei izvo zvakaguma nekubviswa kweTurkey kunyangwe kukunda kwe4x2. Özalan akabatanidzwa mukukakavadzana pamagumo emutambo uye akapiwa chirango chemitambo mitanhatu neFIFA. 