Victor Osimhen: Galatasaray hero tops global rankings, surpasses Ronaldo, Messi, and Kane

Victor Osimhen has been named the most searched footballer in the world for May, surpassing global icons Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Harry Kane, Soccernet.ng reports.

Osimhen's surge in global popularity is backed by data from renowned statistics platform Transfermarkt, as per Le Marca.

The Nigerian striker’s soaring fame comes on the back of a sensational spell at Galatasaray, where he netted six goals in five games during the month of May.

His red-hot form propelled the Turkish giants to a historic domestic double, winning both the Süper Lig title and the Turkish Cup — the latter for the first time since 2019.

Osimhen finished the season as the league’s top scorer with 26 goals and was named Player of the Season. Across all competitions, he registered a remarkable 37 goals and 7 assists, capping off one of the most dominant individual campaigns in Europe.

His performances have not gone unnoticed off the pitch either.

Osimhen generated 935,021 online searches in May — over 300,000 more than Ronaldo (631,507).

Galatasaray's veteran keeper Fernando Muslera came third with 540,974 searches, followed by rising Turkish talent Arda Güler (354,529) and Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal (278,226).

Messi, Morata, Icardi, Kane, and Leroy Sané rounded out the top ten.

Victor Osimhen set for busy summer?

Osimhen’s digital dominance has been fuelled by transfer speculation, with elite clubs across Europe closely monitoring his situation.

Despite interest from Real Madrid, PSG, Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Chelsea, Napoli have yet to receive any official bids.

The only formal offers have come from Galatasaray — who are desperate to make his loan move permanent — and Saudi Arabian giants Al Hilal, who reportedly tabled a staggering €45 million-per-year deal.

Osimhen, however, turned down the Saudi riches in favour of continuing his career in Europe, signalling his ambition to compete at the highest level.

With the summer window heating up and Europe’s top clubs on alert, the Super Eagles star is undoubtedly one of the most coveted names in world football today — both on the pitch and in digital trends.