Victor James Osimhen MFR is a striker who plays for Napoli, a club in Serie A, and for the Nigeria national team. He is a professional footballer from Nigeria. Because of his exceptional finishing, pace, strength, and athleticism, he is often regarded as one of the best strikers to come out of Africa.
Victor Osimhen
Victor Osimhen Profile Summary
Full name: Victor James Osimhen
Gender: Male
Date of birth: December 29, 1998
Place of birth: Lagos
Nationality: Nigerian
Current Club: SSC Napoli
Role: Striker
Hair colour: Black
Eye colour: Dark Brown
Height: 1.85 m
READ ALSO: 10 Fun Facts and Untold Story About Sadio Mané
Who is Victor Osimhen?
Early Life and Career
Born in Lagos, Nigeria, Osimhen began his career with the Ultimate Strikers Academy before joining VfL Wolfsburg in January 2017. He struggled to break into Wolfsburg’s first team, though, so he took out a loan to the Belgian club Charleroi in July 2018. Osimhen had a successful loan spell at Charleroi, scoring 20 goals in 36 games across all competitions. His impressive form saw him win the Belgian Professional Footballer of the Year award for the 2018–19 season. Charleroi was keen to sign him permanently, but Lille managed to secure his signature in July 2019 for a club record of €12 million.
Move to Lille
Osimhen’s time at Lille was a huge success. He scored 18 goals in 38 appearances in his debut season, helping Lille finish fourth in Ligue 1 and qualify for the Champions League. His pace, power,r, and eye for goal made him one of the most exciting young strikers in Europe. After just one season at Lille, Napoli came calling. They paid a club-record €70 million to sign Osimhen in September 2020, making him Nigeria’s most expensive footballer ever. Still only 21, the future looks incredibly bright for this talented young goalscorer. With his humble beginnings in Lagos, Victor Osimhen is a shining example of how hard work and perseverance can pay off. His meteoric rise to the top is an inspiration to young footballers everywhere.
Victor Osimhen Net Worth
As of 2024, Victor Osimhen’s net worth is estimated to be approximately $12 million.
READ ALSO: 20 Fun Facts About Kaoru Mitoma
Victor Osimhen Untold Story
Victor Osimhen had an amazing grass-to-grace story. Born in a very low-income family in Lagos, Nigeria, Victor lost his mother at a very young age. His father struggled to provide for Victor and his siblings. At some point, his family was homeless and had to sleep under a bridge. Despite these challenging circumstances, Victor never gave up on his dream of becoming a professional footballer. He played football whenever he could, honing his skills and natural talent. His big break came when he was invited to the Ultimate Strikers Academy in Lagos. He excelled at the academy and was soon called up to the Nigerian U-17 national team.
Victor Osimhen’s move to Napoli
Scouts from European clubs started taking notice of the young player, Victor Osimhen. In 2017, he signed his first professional contract with VfL Wolfsburg but struggled to break into the first team. He was subsequently loaned out to Charleroi in Belgium, where he finally got regular playing time. The Nigerian had a breakout season with Charleroi, scoring 20 goals in 36 games. His impressive performance caught the attention of Ligue 1 giant Lille, who signed him in 2019. After a successful stint with Lille, Victor moved to Napoli in 2020 for a club-record fee. He hit the ground running at Napoli, scoring 10 goals in his debut season and helping the club qualify for the Champions League.
Victor’s story is inspiring. From poverty in Lagos to one of Europe’s best strikers, he shows that hard work and self-belief can make dreams come true.
Victor Osimhen Awards and Achievements
Victor Osimhen has already achieved so much in his young career; the future looks incredibly bright for this Nigerian striker. Since turning pro at 16, Osimhen has racked up an impressive list of accomplishments and continues to earn recognition as one of the most promising forwards in football.
Awards and Honors
In 2017, Osimhen was awarded the FIFA U-17 World Cup Silver Ball and Bronze Boot after leading Nigeria to victory. The following year, he earned the CAF Youth Player of the Year award. His standout performance for Lille in 2019-2020 earned him the UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Month award in November 201,9, as well as a spot in the UNFP Ligue 1 Team of the Year.
Trophies
Serie A (2022/2023 season)
CAF U23 Cup Of Nations (2015)
FIFA U17 World Cup (2015)
Record Breaking
Osimhen holds the record for most goals scored in a single season of the UEFA Youth League, with 18 goals for Wolfsburg in 2017. His goal-scoring prowess has translated to the senior level, where he scored 18 goals across all competitions for Lille in 2019-2020 and 13 goals so far for Napoli this season. At this rate, Osimhen is on track to become Nigeria’s all-time leading goal scorer.
10 Fun Facts About Victor Osimhen
He has other talents, such as music, and enjoys rap music. Olamide is one of his favourite artists, and his favourite song is “Sitting on the Throne” by Olamide.
He began playing in a team when he joined the senior team of a neighbourhood club as a strike with his elder brother.
He made his debut for the U-17 team in a friendly match in 2014, scoring two goals.
His second goal against Zambia earlier this year in the 2015 U-17 African Championship in Niger was one of his best. This, he thought, was extremely good because it was a firm reflection of what he had learned in training with coach Amuneke, which was “accuracy first, before power.” He also thinks it was a fantastic competition because the team was able to meet their goal of qualifying for the World Cup in Chile.
His middle name is James, and he was born on December 29th, 1998 (he will be 17 this year).
His surname, Osimhen, translates to “God is Good.”
He stands 1.85m tall, or around 6 feet 1 inch, and plays as a center-forward striker.
He is a right-footed player with Ultimate Strikers Academy.
He is the youngest of six children and learned to play football from his older brother.
He and his siblings hawked sachet water and other things on the streets of Lagos to help support their poor parents.
