Super Eagles and Galatasaray forward Victor Osimhen has been honored as Sportsman of the Year at the 2025 GQ Türkiye Men of the Year Awards, SportPremi reports.
The Nigerian forward became the first Nigerian footballer to claim the prestigious award and is just the third footballer, after Wesley Sneijder in 2016 and Mauro Icardi in 2023, to win the award in the last decade.
The 26-year-old enjoyed a remarkable debut campaign with Galatasaray in the Turkish league last season, helping them to a league title and cup double honors.
It joins a growing list of personal achievements by the Super Eagles talisman since his move to Turkey, after also winning the golden boot award and goal of the season award in the 2024-25 campaign.
Osimhen’s Impact at Galatasaray
Victor Osimhen sealed a season-long loan move to Galatasaray in the summer of 2024, after rejecting a move to Saudi Arabia, while another move to English side Chelsea did not materialize.
The striker’s arrival at the club was received with much admiration and he went on to become a fan-favorite with remarkable displays for the club.
The Nigerian forward netted 26 goals as he clinched the Turkish league golden boot, while he also netted 37 times and provided eight assists in all competition, breaking the record for the most goals by a foreign player in a single Turkish league season.
His remarkable performances earned him a record-breaking move to the club this summer, as the Lions splashed €75 million on his permanent signature.
The transfer became the most expensive signing in Turkish league history, ending his spell at Italian club Napoli.
In the current campaign, the striker has scored 11 times in all competitions, including six in the UEFA Champions League for Galatasaray.
What Osimhen said after winning the award
Speaking at the award ceremony on Wednesday night, the Super Eagles superstar expressed appreciation for Galatasaray’s supporters.
“I want to say a big thank you to GQ. Can’t forget my Galatasaray family. This means so much to me and my family. I appreciate everyone who has supported me up to this hour. I will continue to do my best for my family, for Galatasaray, for the fans all over the world.”
Victor Osimhen will feature for Galatasaray this weekend against Antalyaspor, before heading to the African Cup of Nations with Nigeria.
The 26-year-old will miss a few weeks of action for the Turkish champions, as he wull be hoping to guide the Super Eagles to a long-awaited fourth continental crown in Morocco.
