President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan extended heartfelt congratulations to Galatasaray after the Lions clinched the 2024-25 Süper Lig title in dominant fashion on Sunday, becoming the first Turkish team ever to earn the right to wear five stars on their jersey.
"Congratulations to Galatasaray football team, their technical staff, and the entire Galatasaray Sports Club community on becoming the 2024-2025 Süper Lig champions," Erdoğan posted on social media following the club's title-sealing win.
It was a night scripted for history at a buzzing RAMS Park, where Galatasaray brushed aside Kayserispor 3-0 in front of a raucous home crowd to secure their record-extending 25th league crown – and a permanent golden place in Turkish football history.
The victory, with two matchweeks to spare, put them eight points clear of archrival Fenerbahçe and capped a season defined by dominance, flair, and a dash of showmanship.
Victor Osimhen opened the scoring in the 26th minute, netting his 25th goal of the season.
The moment turned into a touching family affair as the stadium’s speakers echoed his goal call – voiced by his 3-year-old daughter Hailey. Just moments later, Barış Alper Yılmaz made it 2-0 with his 12th league goal, celebrating by filming himself with a phone handed from the bench – a stunt that earned him a yellow card but lit up social media.
While Galatasaray missed several chances in the second half, the result was never in doubt. Then came the fairytale finish. In the 89th minute, 38-year-old goalkeeper Fernando Muslera stepped up to take a penalty and slotted it home, scoring just his second career goal – 13 years after his first – sealing a memorable night in Istanbul.
The win capped a double-winning week for Galatasaray, who also beat Trabzonspor in the Turkish Cup final days earlier. Their season began inauspiciously with a 5-1 Super Cup thrashing at the hands of Beşiktaş, but the team rebounded with a relentless run of form. Head coach Okan Buruk’s side has gone 17 home league games unbeaten and won nine straight matches across all competitions since their last derby defeat in March – scoring 27 goals and conceding just four during that stretch.
Galatasaray now leads Turkish football’s title race with 25 league wins – ahead of Fenerbahçe (19), Beşiktaş (16), and Trabzonspor (7). Their league triumph also guarantees direct entry to the league phase of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League, where they’ll once again carry Turkey’s hopes onto the continental stage.
Even in triumph, the night had its playful moments. Injured star Mauro Icardi was seen joking behind the bench, pretending to warm up when Osimhen briefly limped. And in a not-so-subtle jab at Fenerbahçe’s new boss Jose Mourinho, Galatasaray staff flashed a laptop screen with the phrase “The Real One” under five golden stars – a cheeky twist on the Portuguese coach’s famed “Special One” nickname.
