Victor Osimhen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Victor Osimhen

Osimhen with Nigeria in 2024
Personal information
Full name	Victor James Osimhen
Date of birth	(1998-12-29) 29 December 1998 (age 26)
Place of birth	Lagos State, Nigeria
Height	1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Team information
Current team	Galatasaray
Youth career
–2017	Ultimate Strikers Academy
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2017–2019	VfL Wolfsburg	14	(0)
2018–2019	→ Charleroi (loan)	36	(20)
2019	Charleroi	0	(0)
2019–2020	Lille	27	(13)
2020–	Napoli	108	(65)
2024–2025	→ Galatasaray (loan)	30	(26)
International career‡
2015	Nigeria U17	7	(10)
2015–2019	Nigeria U23	4	(3)
2017–	Nigeria	40	(26)
Medal record Men's football Representing  Nigeria Africa Cup of Nations 2023 Third 2019 Africa U-23 Cup of Nations Winner 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup Winner 2015
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21:49, 30 May 2025 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19:00, 25 March 2025 (UTC)

Victor James Osimhen (born December 29, 1998) is a Nigerian professional footballer. He plays as a striker for Serie A club Napoli and is currently on loan at Galatasaray. He also plays for the Nigeria national football team. Many people think he is one of the best strikers in the world. He is known for his amazing speed, strength, and athletic skills.

Osimhen started his senior career in Germany with VfL Wolfsburg in 2017. After a season and a half, he moved to the Belgian team Charleroi on loan in 2018–19. He then joined Ligue 1 club Lille, where he scored eighteen goals in just one season.

In 2020, Osimhen joined Serie A team Napoli for a club-record fee. He won the Serie A Best Young Player award in the 2021–22 season. The next season, he was the league's top scorer with 26 goals. This was a record for an African player. He helped Napoli win their first Serie A title in 33 years. For his great performance, he was named the league's Best Striker and later the Serie A Footballer of the Year. Osimhen is now the highest-scoring African player in Serie A history. For the 2024–25 season, he was loaned to Turkish club Galatasaray. There, he became the league's top scorer and helped them win both the league and the cup.

Osimhen also had a great youth career. He won the Golden Boot award at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, which Nigeria won. He first played for Nigeria's senior national team in June 2017. He played in the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019 and 2023. In 2023, his team reached the final. He is currently the second all-time highest goalscorer for the Nigeria national team. In 2023, he was named the African Footballer of the Year. He was the first Nigerian to win this award since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999.

Early Life and Start in Football

Victor Osimhen was born on December 29, 1998, in Lagos, Nigeria. He is the youngest of six children. His father, Patrick, was from Edo State, and his mother, Christiana, was from Delta State. He grew up in the Olusosun area of Lagos. When he was young, his football hero was Didier Drogba.

Osimhen started his football journey at the Ultimate Strikers Academy in Lagos, Nigeria. His talent was noticed during the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup. In January 2016, he signed a pre-contract with VfL Wolfsburg in Germany. This meant he would officially join the club in January 2017.

Club Career Highlights

Starting in Europe: VfL Wolfsburg

On January 5, 2017, Osimhen officially signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with Wolfsburg. He was injured when he first arrived. He made his Bundesliga debut on May 13, coming on as a substitute in a 1–1 draw. He also played in the final match of the 2016–17 season. Wolfsburg had to play in a relegation playoff, which they won to stay in the Bundesliga.

In the 2017–18 season, Osimhen played in 12 games. He made his first full Bundesliga start on January 28, 2018, in a 1–0 win. He had shoulder surgery in May, which ended his season.

Loan to Charleroi: Finding His Form

In August 2018, Osimhen joined Belgian club Charleroi on a season-long loan. He had not scored in his 16 games with Wolfsburg. He made his debut on September 1. On September 22, he scored his first professional goal with a backheel kick.

He scored twice in a 3–2 win on October 21. After this, he told BBC Sport he had "found his happiness again." He finished the first half of the season with 8 goals in 16 games. After a successful loan spell, Charleroi decided to buy him permanently. He played 36 games and scored 20 goals for them.

Moving to France: Lille OSC

Osimhen playing for Lille in 2019

On August 1, 2019, French club Lille signed Osimhen on a five-year contract. The transfer fee was about €12 million. He was given the number 7 jersey.

Just ten days later, he made his Ligue 1 debut. He scored two goals in a 2–1 win against Nantes. Two weeks later, he scored another two goals in a 3–0 home win. His performance earned him a high rating in a French sports newspaper.

Osimhen was named the Ligue 1 Player of the Month for September 2019. He scored his first UEFA Champions League goal on October 2, 2019, against Chelsea. He finished the season as Lille's top scorer with 13 goals in 25 league matches and 18 goals in all competitions.

His great season earned him the 2020 Prix Marc-Vivien Foé. This award goes to the best African player in the French league. On June 2, 2020, he was named Lille's Player of the Season by fans.

Becoming a Star: Napoli

First Seasons and Challenges

On July 31, 2020, Serie A club Napoli signed Osimhen for a club-record fee of €70 million. This made him the most expensive African transfer at the time. On October 17, he scored his first goal for Napoli. When he scored, he held up a shirt to support the End SARS movement in Nigeria.

In November 2020, Osimhen got a shoulder injury while playing for Nigeria. This kept him out for two months. While recovering, he caught the COVID-19 virus. He returned to play on January 29, 2021.

On September 16, 2021, Osimhen scored two goals in a 2–2 draw against Leicester City in the Europa League. In November 2021, he suffered a serious head injury. He had a fractured skull and eye socket. He had surgery and had to miss the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations. Since then, he has worn a protective mask while playing. By the end of the season, he scored 14 goals in Serie A.

Winning the Serie A Title

Osimhen playing for Napoli in 2023

On October 12, 2022, Osimhen scored his first Champions League goal for Napoli. This helped them qualify for the knockout stage. On October 29, he scored his first Serie A hat-trick in a 4–0 win. On November 11, he became Nigeria's highest goal scorer in Serie A with 32 goals.

On January 13, 2023, Osimhen scored two goals and assisted another as Napoli beat Juventus 5–1. On February 17, 2023, he scored his 100th career goal. He also became the first Napoli player to score in seven league games in a row. In the Champions League, he scored three goals over two games. This helped Napoli reach the quarter-finals for the first time.

On May 4, he scored the goal that made Napoli Serie A champions. This was their first title in 33 years. His goal made him the joint-highest African goalscorer in Serie A history. Three days later, he scored a penalty to become the highest-scoring African player in Serie A with 47 goals. He finished the season as the top scorer with 26 goals, the first African to do so.

Contract and Loan to Galatasaray

On August 19, 2023, Osimhen started the new season by scoring two goals in a 3–1 win. He had a hamstring injury in October 2023, which made him miss several games. He returned in November and helped Napoli win. On December 12, he scored his first Champions League goal of the 2023–24 season.

On December 23, Osimhen extended his contract with Napoli until 2026. On February 28, 2024, he scored three goals in a 6–1 win. This made him the third player to score at least ten goals in Serie A for Napoli in four seasons in a row.

There was much talk about Osimhen leaving Napoli in the summer of 2024. On August 30, 2024, it was reported that he agreed to a deal with Al-Ahli, but it fell through. A move to Chelsea also did not happen. On August 31, Osimhen was removed from Napoli's Serie A squad.

On September 3, Turkish club Galatasaray started talks to loan Osimhen. The next day, Galatasaray announced they had signed him on loan until the end of the 2024–25 season. On September 28, he scored his first two goals for Galatasaray. He also scored two goals in the Europa League against Tottenham Hotspur.

On March 14, 2025, Osimhen scored his first three goals for Galatasaray in a 4–0 win. On May 14, he scored two goals in the Turkish Cup final, helping his club win 3–0. With these goals, he reached 35 goals in 39 official matches, setting a new record for a foreign player in Turkey. On May 18, Osimhen scored in a 3–0 win, as Galatasaray won the Süper Lig title. He finished the season as the league's top scorer with 26 goals, helping the club win both the league and the cup. On June 17, 2025, his amazing bicycle kick goal was voted the Süper Lig goal of the season.

International Career for Nigeria

Osimhen was part of the Nigeria under-17 team that won the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile. He scored 10 goals in seven games, winning the Golden Boot and Silver Ball awards. He also won the CAF Youth Player of the Year award in 2015.

He made his senior debut for Nigeria on June 10, 2017. He missed the 2018 FIFA World Cup due to his inconsistent club season. After doing well at Charleroi, he was called back to the national team in November 2018.

In March 2019, Osimhen played for the Nigerian U23 side. He scored three goals in a match against Libya. He was also part of Nigeria's squad for the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. He played in the third-place match, which Nigeria won 1–0.

Osimhen missed the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations due to COVID-19. He started the 2023 AFCON qualifiers in great form. He scored a goal against Sierra Leone and four goals in a 10–0 win against São Tomé and Príncipe. This was his first senior international hat-trick. He scored another three goals against São Tomé and Príncipe in September 2023. He finished the 2023 AFCON qualifiers as the top scorer with 10 goals.

In December 2023, he was called up for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. He scored a goal in the opening match, which ended in a 1–1 draw. In March 2025, he became the second-highest goal scorer for the Nigeria national team. He scored two goals in a 2–0 win against Rwanda during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.

Player Style and Recognition

How Osimhen Plays

Osimhen scoring a goal for Lille in 2019

Osimhen is a right-footed centre-forward. He is known for his strong physical presence, athleticism, and speed. He makes direct runs into space and has a great eye for goal. He is also good at linking up with teammates. His explosive pace and strong ability to head the ball are his best qualities.

Standing at 185 cm tall, Osimhen's strong build allows him to hold up the ball well. This makes him a good target man who can help build attacking plays. He is also good at controlling the ball inside the penalty box. While some say he doesn't dribble much, his smart movement without the ball makes up for it. He is calm when facing the goal and can score from different positions. Osimhen also has great stamina and works hard to press opponents, helping his team defend.

What People Say About Him

Many people see Osimhen as one of the best strikers in European football. He is often compared to other young stars like Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland. His manager at Napoli, Luciano Spalletti, called him "such a great striker" and "the complete package." In December 2022, Francesco Totti said he was "the best striker in Serie A." Romelu Lukaku also described him as "the best striker" in January 2023.

Fellow Nigerian forward Odion Ighalo called him "the future of Nigerian football." After Osimhen scored against Roma in January 2023, former Brazil and Napoli striker Careca said he saw something similar to Pelé in his goal. Osimhen has said that Didier Drogba is one of his biggest inspirations and idols.

Personal Life

Victor Osimhen is a Christian. He has said that he is inspired by Sadio Mané, who helps his community in Senegal. Osimhen wants to help disabled people across Africa. He announced the birth of his first child, a daughter named Haly, in October 2022.

Honours and Awards

Napoli

• Serie A: 2022–23

Galatasaray

• Süper Lig: 2024–25
• Turkish Cup: 2024–25

Nigeria U17

• FIFA U-17 World Cup: 2015

Nigeria U23

• Africa U-23 Cup of Nations: 2015

Nigeria

• Africa Cup of Nations runner-up: 2023; third place: 2019

Individual Awards

• African U-17 Championship Golden Boot: 2015
• FIFA U-17 World Cup Golden Boot: 2015
• FIFA U-17 World Cup Silver Ball: 2015
• CAF Youth Player of the Year: 2015
• UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month: September 2019
• Prix Marc-Vivien Foé: 2020
• Serie A Best Under-23: 2021–22
• Serie A Best Striker: 2022–23
• Serie A Player of the Month: March 2022, January 2023
• Serie A Goal of the Month: January 2023
• Globe Soccer Awards Emerging Player of the Year: 2022
• Nigeria Pitch Awards King of the Pitch: 2022
• Ghana Football Awards Best African International: 2023
• Lille Player of the Season: 2019–20
• Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers top scorer: 2021, 2023
• CAF Team of the Year: 2023, 2024
• Capocannoniere: 2022–23
• African Footballer of the Year: 2023
• Serie A Footballer of the Year: 2023
• Serie A Team of the Year: 2022–23
• Süper Lig top scorer: 2024–25
• Süper Lig Goal of the Season: 2024–25

Orders

• Member of the Order of the Federal Republic
• Member of the Order of the Niger

See also

In Spanish: Victor Osimhen para niños