Phil Foden receives prestigious European award

Phil Foden from Manchester City was recognized by UEFA as the best player of the week in the Champions League, edging out Victor Osimhen after a brilliant display in the fourth group stage match.

English star Phil Foden of Manchester City has been named by UEFA as Player of the Week following his impressive showing in the fourth matchday of the 2025/26 UEFA Champions League group stage. The announcement was made on UEFA’s official website on Thursday evening, with Galatasaray’s forward Victor Osimhen finishing second in the voting.

In the 4–1 victory over Borussia Dortmund, Foden shone brightly, scoring twice and providing an assist to help Manchester City secure their place among the top eight teams in the group stage.

The 25-year-old midfielder also demonstrated all-around excellence by netting two goals, achieving a 100% success rate on long passes, creating three scoring chances, and maintaining high intensity throughout the match.

Foden’s outstanding form not only brought Man City closer to an early qualification for the Round of 16 but also reinforced his growing influence within Pep Guardiola’s tactical system.

Right behind Foden in the vote was Victor Osimhen, who recently made history for Nigerian football. In Galatasaray’s 3–0 win over Ajax Amsterdam, Osimhen scored a hat-trick, becoming only the second Nigerian player ever to achieve this feat in the Champions League.

Besides Foden and Osimhen, the nominees included Club Brugge’s Carlos Forbs and Arsenal’s Mikel Merino. Forbs scored twice and assisted once in a thrilling 3–3 draw with Barcelona, while also creating three dangerous opportunities with an 88% passing accuracy.

Meanwhile, Merino played a key role in Arsenal’s 3–0 victory over Slavia Prague, scoring twice, registering two shots on target, and maintaining a 90% passing accuracy over 85 minutes of play.

Experts widely agree that Foden’s win was well deserved. The English midfielder is gradually becoming the “heart and soul” of Man City’s playing style, consistently making his mark both domestically and in Europe. Given his current form, Foden is expected to continue inspiring “The Citizens” as they aim to defend their Champions League title.