Galatasaray wrapped up the 2024-25 Süper Lig title in style, overpowering Kayserispor 3-0 at a packed RAMS Park to secure the club’s record-extending 25th league crown and with it, the historic right to wear a fifth star on their jersey.
With two games still remaining, the Lions entered matchweek 36 eight points ahead of bitter rivals Fenerbahçe and needed just a draw to seal the deal.
But head coach Okan Buruk’s men showed no signs of slowing down, delivering a commanding performance in front of their home fans to clinch the crown for a third consecutive year.
Victor Osimhen broke the deadlock in the 26th minute, scoring his 25th goal of the campaign.
The Nigerian star’s strike was given a heartwarming twist as it was announced over the stadium loudspeakers by his 3-year-old daughter Hailey.
Just three minutes later, Barış Alper Yılmaz doubled the lead, taking his Süper Lig tally to 12 goals this season.
The 24-year-old celebrated by filming himself with a phone handed from the bench – earning a yellow card for the gesture.
Despite missing chances in the second half, Galatasaray never allowed Kayserispor a way back.
In the 89th minute, veteran goalkeeper Fernando Muslera stepped up and buried a penalty, netting his second-ever goal for the club – almost 13 years after his first against Manisaspor. It marked a fairytale ending to a flawless evening in Istanbul.
Galatasaray’s title triumph comes on the heels of their Turkish Cup victory earlier in the week, where they toppled Trabzonspor to complete a rare domestic double.
The Lions had started the season with a shocking 5-1 defeat to Beşiktaş in the Turkish Super Cup, but rebounded impressively to claim both major trophies.
Statistically, the club has been nearly unstoppable.
Buruk’s men are unbeaten in their last 17 home league matches and have won nine straight across all competitions since their derby loss to Beşiktaş in March.
In that stretch, Galatasaray scored 27 goals while conceding just four.
This marks a significant milestone in Turkish football history, as Galatasaray becomes the first team to earn the right to display five stars on their kit – each star representing five league titles.
Their tally of 25 championships puts them well ahead of their traditional rivals: Fenerbahçe has 19, Beşiktaş 16, Trabzonspor seven, while Bursaspor and Başakşehir each have one.
The title also guarantees Galatasaray a direct ticket to the league phase of the 2025-26 UEFA Champions League, where they’ll once again fly the Turkish flag on Europe’s biggest club stage.
The evening wasn’t without playful drama.
Mauro Icardi, out for the season due to injury, was seen joking with staff behind the bench, gesturing that he was ready to come on after Osimhen briefly limped off.
Meanwhile, in a cheeky swipe at Fenerbahçe coach Jose Mourinho, Galatasaray staff flashed a laptop screen featuring the phrase “The Real One” beneath five golden stars, referencing the Portuguese manager’s infamous “The Special One” label and a prior incident where he showed a VAR image on his own device.