Kaan Kairinen

Inter Turku

Kairinen is a youth exponent from Inter Turku. He made his Veikkausliiga debut at 25 October 2014 against FF Jaro, coming on as a substitute for Kalle Kauppi after 70 minutes in a 1–0 home defeat. Kairinen became the second-youngest player in Inter Turku's history to play for the club, since he made his debut at the age of 15. In October 2015, Kairinen was named among the top 50 best young talents in world football by The Guardian. He also spent time with Juventus on trial and was offered a contract.

Midtjylland and loans

On 1 February 2016, it was confirmed by FC Midtjylland, that they had signed with Kairinen for an undisclosed fee. On 14 November 2018, Midtjylland announced that Kairinen would spend 2019 at HJK Helsinki on a loan deal.

Lillestrøm

Kairinen had a successful loan spell with Lillestrøm in Norway in the 2020 season, after which the club gained a promotion to Eliteserien. After the season, Kairinen transferred to Lillestrøm on a permanent contract, signing a four-year deal, for a transfer fee of €300,000. In late 2021, he suffered from a long-lasted foot injury, which was eventually operated in January 2022 by surgeon Lasse Lempainen in Turku, Finland.

Sparta Prague

2022–23 season

On 20 December 2022, it was confirmed by Sparta Prague, that they had signed with Kairinen on a deal until 30 June 2026, for a reported fee of €1.5 million. Kairinen scored a goal and provided an assist in his debut in…

A former regular youth international, Kairinen debuted for the Finland senior national team on 8 January 2019 in a friendly match against Sweden, as a substitute for Rasmus Schüller in the 54th minute. Kairinen scored his first goal for the Finland national team on 24 March 2025, in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Lithuania.

Kairinen was born to a Turkish father and a Finnish mother in Turku, and was raised in Runosmäki neighbourhood.

Kairinen has two siblings; an older brother and a younger sister. Karinen's father died when he was five. He has openly discussed the eating disorder and depression he suffered during his time with Midtjylland, which almost ended his career prematurely.