Victor Osimhen

Victor James Osimhen

Victor James Osimhen is a Nigerian international striker and Galatasaray forward. His major achievements include winning the Golden Boot at Nigeria's victorious 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup campaign, leading Serie A scoring during Napoli's 2022-23 title-winning season and being named CAF Men's Player of the Year for 2023.

Star Mover ranking

Not ranked in Sports yet

0 points

Sign in to Move Up

Profile

About Victor Osimhen

Profile information current to 2026-08-19.

Nigeria · Professional footballer, Forward / striker · 1 affiliation

Show full profile Hide full profile

Known for: Nigerian men's international football; European club football; African football awards
Country: Nigeria

Professional footballer
Forward / striker

At a glance

Osimhen is a Nigeria international forward registered with Galatasaray as of 19 August 2026.
He scored a tournament-record 10 goals to win the Golden Boot as Nigeria won the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup.
He scored 26 goals in 32 appearances to lead Serie A scoring during Napoli's title-winning 2022-23 season.
CAF named him its Men's Player of the Year for 2023.
In May 2026, UEFA identified him as Nigeria's leading scorer in the UEFA Champions League, with 16 goals at that time.

Background and international emergence

Born in Lagos on 29 December 1998, Osimhen gained international attention at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup. He scored a record 10 goals, won the tournament's Golden Boot and helped Nigeria secure the title.

European club career

Osimhen's senior European club career has included Wolfsburg, Charleroi, Lille, Napoli and Galatasaray. His most prominent season at Napoli came in 2022-23, when his 26 goals in 32 Serie A appearances made him the division's leading scorer as the club won the league title. After joining Galatasaray temporarily for 2024-25, he completed a permanent transfer from Napoli on 31 July 2025 under a four-year contract effective from the 2025-26 season.

Nigeria role and individual recognition

CAF identifies Osimhen as a forward for Nigeria and has presented him as a key member of the national side. His standing in African football was marked by the 2023 CAF Men's Player of the Year award. UEFA reported in May 2026 that he had scored 16 UEFA Champions League goals and 26 goals across UEFA men's club competitions, totals that made him Nigeria's leading Champions League scorer at the time.

Affiliations

Galatasaray A.Ş. Forward 2025-07-31–present

Timeline

1998-12-29 Born in Lagos, Nigeria.
2015 Won the FIFA U-17 World Cup with Nigeria and the adidas Golden Boot after scoring a record 10 goals.
2023 Won Serie A with Napoli and finished as the division's leading scorer with 26 goals in 32 appearances during the 2022-23 season.
2023-12-11 Named CAF Men's Player of the Year for 2023.
2024-09-06 Galatasaray announced his temporary transfer from Napoli for the 2024-25 season.
2025-07-31 Galatasaray announced his permanent transfer from Napoli on a four-year contract effective from the 2025-26 season.

Additional verified details

Current context

Osimhen is listed as a Galatasaray forward by the club and as a Galatasaray A.Ş. player by the Turkish Football Federation. Club affiliation is time-sensitive and should be rechecked before publication if the profile is used after the 2026 summer transfer window.
Galatasaray's 31 July 2025 announcement states that Osimhen signed a four-year contract effective from the 2025-26 season. The official announcement establishes the original reported term and does not rule out a later amendment, transfer or termination.
UEFA reported that Osimhen had become Nigeria's all-time leading scorer in the UEFA Champions League with 16 goals and had 26 goals across UEFA men's club competitions. These totals reflect UEFA's figures at the time of its May 2026 publication and may subsequently change.

Biographical facts

Osimhen was born on 29 December 1998 in Lagos, Nigeria.
His senior European club career has included Wolfsburg, Charleroi, Lille, Napoli and Galatasaray.
CAF identifies Osimhen as a Nigeria forward, included him in its Nigeria guide for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations cycle and identified him as a key Nigeria player before the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final.