Victor Osimhen has once again made headlines in Turkey, not just on the football pitch but in the digital space.
According to NTV Spor, data from the internet exchange operator DE-CIX Istanbul revealed that the Nigerian striker’s unveiling as a Galatasaray player triggered the highest-ever internet activity recorded in the country.
On July 30th, just after 10:00 PM, coinciding with Osimhen’s grand arrival and presentation, Istanbul registered an unprecedented “505.26 Gbit/s” of instantaneous internet traffic. This figure set a new national record for data flow in Turkey.
An Unprecedented Digital Moment
Bulent Sen, DE-CIX Turkey’s regional director, broke down the numbers for better perspective, explaining that 500 Gbit/s is roughly equivalent to 300,000 TikTok videos being streamed at the same time.
The recent record represents a 295% increase in traffic since the beginning of 2020 and a 34% increase compared to early 2025.
The surge was largely fueled by fans tracking Osimhen’s journey through special live streams, including the “Victor Osimhen Plane Tracking Broadcast” on Galatasaray’s YouTube and GSPlus platforms.
A Grand Unveiling for a Star Striker
Osimhen, now one of the highest-paid African footballers in 2025 following his €75 million transfer to Galatasaray, made his commitment clear during the unveiling.
In a video shared by the club, the 26-year-old declared “SOLO IL GALA”, Italian for “Only Gala”, while aboard a plane headed to Istanbul.
The moment sparked an extraordinary wave of online engagement, with millions of fans watching and celebrating his arrival in real time, marking yet another record-setting milestone for the Nigerian star.
