Victor Osimhen has been named Footballer of the Year at the 72nd Milliyet Sports Awards in Turkey.
This event is widely regarded as the country’s “Oscars of sports.”
The Super Eagles striker earned the honour following an exceptional 2025 calendar year with Galatasaray. He delivered 37 goals and seven assists across all competitions. Additionally, he powered the club to a historic domestic double that included both the Süper Lig title and the Turkish Cup.
The award ceremony took place at the Volkswagen Arena in Istanbul on Thursday, April 2. Osimhen could not attend as he continues to recover from arm surgery. His Galatasaray teammate Uğurcan Çakır received the trophy on his behalf.
Speaking via video message, Osimhen expressed deep gratitude. “Thank you for the award,” he said. “I want to thank everyone: my club, the fans, my teammates, and the management. Thank you for your support.”
Across the 2024/25 league campaign, Osimhen scored 26 goals and provided four assists in 30 league matches. He also netted six goals in the UEFA Europa League and five in the Turkish Cup.
Before his injury this season, he had scored 12 goals with four assists in 19 league games. Moreover, he scored seven goals and contributed three assists in the UEFA Champions League.
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His consistency saw him beat top nominees. These included Real Madrid’s Arda Güler, Inter Milan’s Hakan Çalhanoğlu, and Juventus star Kenan Yıldız.
Osimhen is the first Nigerian to win the Milliyet Sports Awards Footballer of the Year honour. This cements his status as one of Africa’s finest football exports.
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He completed a permanent move from Napoli to Galatasaray during the 2024/25 season. Since then, he has become a cult hero in Istanbul, where fans have celebrated his extraordinary goal-scoring exploits with remarkable devotion.
