Osimhen’s Galatasaray unveiling shatters Istanbul internet traffic record
Nigerian football star Victor Osimhen has set a new internet record in Turkey, with reports revealing that the country’s largest city recorded its highest-ever online activity during his unveiling as a Galatasaray player.
According to NTV Spor, internet exchange operator DE-CIX Istanbul disclosed that the city reached its peak internet data traffic during the event.
Data showed that 505.26 Gbit/s of instantaneous traffic was recorded shortly after 10:00 p.m. on July 30, the day Osimhen arrived and was unveiled. This marked the highest internet data flow in Istanbul’s history.
DE-CIX Turkey Regional Director Bulent Sen compared the figure to watching about 300,000 TikTok videos simultaneously.
“The new record of 505.26 Gbit/s during Osimhen’s unveiling represents a 295% increase since early 2020 and a 34% rise since the beginning of 2025,” Sen said.
The 26-year-old Nigerian international made his announcement in spectacular fashion, with Galatasaray posting a video on social media showing him aboard a plane declaring, “SOLO IL GALA” — Italian for “Only Gala” — affirming his commitment to the Istanbul giants.
The unveiling sparked unprecedented fan engagement, amplified by initiatives such as the “Victor Osimhen Plane Tracking Broadcast,” through which the club allowed supporters to follow his journey to Turkey via YouTube and GSPlus.
