Victor Osimhen has been named Footballer of the Year at the 72nd Milliyet Sports Awards, one of Turkish football's most prestigious honors. The Nigerian striker, currently with Galatasaray, was not present at the ceremony, and teammate Uğurcan Çakır accepted the award on his behalf. In a pre-recorded message, Osimhen said, "Hi everyone, this is Victor Osimhen. I just want to say thank you to the jury and public that voted me for the award. I really appreciate you guys. Thank you so much for the recognition. I also want to use the opportunity to say a big thank you to my club Galatasaray, the fans, most especially my teammates, the President and the coach. Thank you so much for your support and hopefully I come back soon and continue to go forward. Thank you very much." Çakır praised Osimhen on stage, calling him "a valuable footballer, a good person," and added, "Next year, I'll try to win this award myself." Osimhen becomes the first Nigerian and only the fifth foreign player to claim the award, joining past winners like Alex de Souza and Mauro Icardi. His win follows a dominant 2025 season in which he scored 37 goals and recorded 8 assists across all competitions, helping Galatasaray secure a domestic double.
Osimhen's 37-goal season and foreign-player milestone expose how rare it is for non-Turkish stars to win this award, despite the league's growing reliance on international talent. Çakır's lighthearted bid to win it next year underscores the internal competition at Galatasaray, but also highlights how Osimhen's individual brilliance stood above the rest. For a league often overlooked in European conversations, Osimhen's achievement forces a recalibration of its competitive credibility.
