A VIRAL post circulating on social media claims that Nigerian international footballer Victor Osimhen threatened to leave Turkish club Galatasaray S.K. because he had not received his salary for three months.
The claim was posted by an X user, @madde1907, with the caption:
“Victor Osimhen: ‘I haven’t received my salary for 3 months. If it weren’t for me, no one in the world would know Galatasaray. If you don’t pay me, I’ll leave, you ungrateful people.‘”
As of July 30, 2026, the post has generated over 5.4 million views, and over 590,000 likes.
The claim also surfaced here.
READ: AI-Generated images falsely show Osimhen, VeryDarkMan welcoming Tinubu in Turkey
CLAIM
Video shows Victor Osimhen threatening to leave Galatasaray S.K. over three months of unpaid salaries.
FINDINGS
Findings by The FactCheckHub shows that the claim is MISLEADING.
A reverse image search conducted on keyframes of the video by The FactCheckHub revealed an extensive clip of the live video stream published on YouTube. Findings showed that the clip was taken from an Instagram live session hosted by Victor Osimhen in June 2024, months before his transfer to Galatasaray.
In the original June 2024 live video, Osimhen spoke out against claims attributed to Finidi George, the former head coach of Nigeria’s national football team, the Super Eagles.
In the video, Osimhen stated that the coach questioned his commitment after the striker missed the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against South Africa and the Benin Republic. He further addressed the situation, stating that he was dealing with an injury, had provided evidence to the Super Eagles’ medical team regarding his fitness, and had personally briefed Finidi George from Germany alongside his doctor.
Punch also reported in June 2024, about the live video and his reaction towards the coach over the circumstances surrounding his absence.
READ ALSO: Old video falsely presented as Osimhen’s apology after recent altercation with Lookman
As for the caption attached to the viral post, Osimhen said nothing about payment or Galatasaray’s management in the video. The entire live stream was specifically conducted to debunk the claims made by Finidi George regarding the Super Eagles, and he clearly mentioned the national team, Super Eagles, not Galatasaray.
VERDICT
The claim that Victor Osimhen threatened to leave Galatasaray over three months of unpaid salaries is MISLEADING. Reverse image searches and media reports confirm that the video clip is from a June 2024 Instagram Live session where Osimhen addressed comments made by former Super Eagles head coach Finidi George regarding his absence from national team duties.
Seasoned writer and literary curator, Zainab Abdulrasaq is a factchecker for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached on IG @blackbookishgirl or zabdulrasaq@icirnigeria.org
