History of Victor Osimhen in Timeline
Victor Osimhen is a highly regarded Nigerian professional footballer known for his role as a striker. His key attributes include explosive pace, physical strength, aerial prowess, and clinical finishing. He currently plays for Süper Lig club Galatasaray and serves as the vice-captain for the Nigeria national team, solidifying his reputation as one of the top strikers globally.
December 1998: Victor Osimhen's Birth
In December 1998, Victor James Osimhen was born in Nigeria. He is now a professional footballer.
December 1998: Victor Osimhen Born in Lagos
Victor Osimhen was born on 29 December 1998 in Lagos, Nigeria, as the youngest of seven children. His early life was marked by poverty and hardship.
1999: Nwankwo Kanu Wins African Footballer of the Year
In 1999, Nwankwo Kanu won the African Footballer of the Year Award, an honour not received by another Nigerian until Osimhen in 2023.
2015: Rising Star at FIFA U-17 World Cup
After being noticed for his performances at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, Osimhen got noticed.
2015: Won FIFA U-17 World Cup with Nigeria
In 2015, Osimhen was a member of the Nigeria under-17 team that won the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile. He scored 10 goals in seven games at the tournament and won the Golden Boot and Silver Ball awards. His performances also earned him the CAF Youth Player of the Year award in 2015.
2015: FIFA U-17 World Cup Triumph
In 2015, Victor Osimhen represented Nigeria at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile, emerging as the tournament’s top scorer with 10 goals and helped Nigeria win the title.
January 2016: Pre-contract with VfL Wolfsburg
In January 2016, Victor Osimhen committed to a pre-contract with VfL Wolfsburg, stipulating that he would officially join the club in January 2017.
2016: Pre-contract signed with Wolfsburg
In January 2016, after being noticed for his performances at the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup, Osimhen committed to a pre-contract with VfL Wolfsburg.
January 2017: Joins VfL Wolfsburg
In January 2017, Victor Osimhen officially joined VfL Wolfsburg.
June 2017: Senior Debut for Nigeria
In June 2017, Osimhen made his official senior debut for Nigeria in a 2–0 defeat against South Africa.
June 2017: Senior International Debut
In June 2017, Victor Osimhen made his senior international debut for Nigeria.
2017: Osimhen Joins VfL Wolfsburg
In 2017, Victor Osimhen began his senior career in Germany at VfL Wolfsburg.
2017: Matchday Squad Inclusion
In the first half of the 2017–18 season, Victor Osimhen was named in 12 of the 17 matchday squads.
January 2018: Full Bundesliga Debut
On 28 January 2018, Victor Osimhen earned his full Bundesliga debut against Hannover.
August 2018: Loan to Charleroi
On 22 August 2018, Victor Osimhen joined Belgian club Charleroi on a season-long loan deal from Wolfsburg.
November 2018: Recalled to the National Team
In November 2018, following a successful loan spell at Charleroi, Osimhen was recalled by Gernot Rohr for the November 2018 international break, starting their friendly win over Uganda.
2018: Osimhen loaned to Charleroi
In 2018, Victor Osimhen moved to Belgian side Charleroi on loan after playing for VfL Wolfsburg.
March 2019: Represented Nigerian U23 Side
In March 2019, Osimhen was released from the Super Eagles squad to represent the Nigerian U23 side. He scored three goals in the return match against Libya in Asaba.
August 2019: Transfer to Lille
On 1 August 2019, Victor Osimhen's transfer to French Ligue 1 club Lille was confirmed, signing a five-year contract.
September 2019: Ligue 1 Player of the Month
In September 2019, Victor Osimhen was named the Ligue 1 Player of the Month.
October 2019: First Champions League Goal
On 2 October 2019, Victor Osimhen scored his first goal in the UEFA Champions League in a match against Chelsea.
2019: Africa Cup of Nations
In 2019, Victor Osimhen played at the Africa Cup of Nations.
June 2020: Lille's Player of the Season
On 2 June 2020, Victor Osimhen was awarded Lille's Player of the Season.
June 2020: Contract with Wolfsburg ends
On 5 January 2017, Victor Osimhen officially signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with VfL Wolfsburg, lasting until June 2020.
July 2020: Signs with Napoli
On 31 July 2020, Victor Osimhen signed for Serie A club Napoli, for a club-record fee.
2020: Osimhen Transfers to Napoli
In 2020, Victor Osimhen transferred to Serie A side Napoli for a club-record fee.
January 2021: Return to Napoli After Injury and COVID-19
On 29 January 2021, Victor Osimhen returned to Napoli, after recovering from a shoulder injury and contracting the COVID-19 virus, and was subbed on for around twenty minutes of Napoli's Coppa Italia win against Spezia.
September 2021: Europa League Brace Against Leicester City
On 16 September 2021, Victor Osimhen scored a brace in a 2–2 away draw against Leicester City in the Europa League group stage.
November 2021: Head Injury
In November 2021, Victor Osimhen suffered a horrific head injury, and a fractured skull and eye socket. He underwent immediate surgery and was forced to miss the Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon.
2021: Missed 2021 Africa Cup of Nations
In 2021, Osimhen missed the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations supposedly due to COVID-19 as claimed by his club, leading to controversy and concerns over Napoli potentially preventing him from participating.
2021: Serie A Best Young Player Award
In the 2021–22 season, Victor Osimhen won the Serie A Best Young Player award.
October 2022: Birth of Daughter, Haly
In October 2022, Victor Osimhen announced the birth of his first child, a daughter named Haly.
October 2022: First Champions League Goal
On 12 October 2022, Victor Osimhen scored his first Champions League goal with Napoli in a 4–2 win over Ajax.
December 2022: Francesco Totti Called Osimhen the Best Striker in Serie A
In December 2022, Francesco Totti called Victor Osimhen "the best striker in Serie A".
January 2023: Romelu Lukaku Described Osimhen as the Best Striker
In January 2023, Romelu Lukaku described Victor Osimhen as "the best striker". Fellow Nigerian forward Odion Ighalo hailed him as "the future of Nigerian football".
January 2023: Napoli Beats Juventus
On 13 January 2023, Victor Osimhen scored two and assisted another as Napoli beat Juventus 5–1.
February 2023: 100th Career Goal
On 17 February 2023, Victor Osimhen scored his 100th career goal to help Napoli win 2–0 at Sassuolo.
May 2023: Member of the Federal Republic Honor
On May 29, 2023, Victor Osimhen was made a Member of the Federal Republic by President Muhammadu Buhari.
October 2023: Hamstring Injury
In October 2023, Victor Osimhen suffered a hamstring injury during Nigeria's friendly draw to Saudi Arabia, causing him to miss several games.
November 2023: Return from Injury
On 25 November 2023, Victor Osimhen returned from a hamstring injury and assisted Eljif Elmas' winning goal in a 2–1 victory over Atalanta.
December 2023: Champions League Goal and Qualification
On 12 December 2023, Victor Osimhen scored his first goal of the 2023–24 Champions League campaign and helped secure Napoli's progression to the knockout stages.
2023: International Call-Up and Red Card
In 2023, Osimhen was called up for international duty for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations. Later the same day, Osimhen received a red card in a match against Roma, preventing him from playing in the final game before his international assignment.
2023: Ballon d'Or and African Footballer of the Year
In 2023, Victor Osimhen finished in eighth place at the Ballon d'Or ceremony and was named the African Footballer of the Year at the CAF Awards.
February 2024: Scored Hat-Trick Against Sassuolo
On 28 February 2024, Victor Osimhen scored a hat-trick in a 6–1 away win over Sassuolo. This achievement made him the third player in Napoli's history to score at least ten goals in Serie A in four consecutive seasons, joining Diego Maradona and Attila Sallustro.
August 2024: Failed Transfer Deals
In August 2024, there were speculations about Osimhen leaving Napoli with Al-Ahli, Chelsea, and Paris Saint-Germain all linked to him. On 30 August 2024, a deal with Al-Ahli fell through, and a proposed move to Chelsea also failed. On 31 August, Osimhen was excluded from Napoli's Serie A squad and stripped of his number.
2024: Osimhen loaned to Galatasaray
Ahead of the 2024–25 season, Victor Osimhen was loaned to Turkish side Galatasaray.
2024: Joined Adidas
In 2024, Osimhen switched his sponsorship from Nike to Adidas.
March 2025: Second Highest Goal Scorer for Nigeria
In March 2025, Osimhen became the second highest goal scorer for the Nigeria national team after scoring two goals in a 2–0 away victory over Rwanda during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.
March 2025: Scored First Hat-Trick with Galatasaray
On 14 March 2025, Osimhen scored his first hat-trick with Galatasaray in a 4–0 victory over Antalyaspor.
April 2025: Appeared in Ülker Çizi TV Commercial
In April 2025, Osimhen appeared in a television commercial for Ülker Çizi, a popular Turkish snack brand produced by Ülker, following his loan move to Galatasaray. The campaign highlighted his impact in the Turkish Süper Lig.
June 2025: Süper Lig Goal of the Season Award
On 17 June 2025, Osimhen's bicycle kick goal in Galatasaray's 3–0 win against Antalyaspor was voted the Süper Lig goal of the season.
July 2025: Signed Contract with Galatasaray
In July 2025, Osimhen reached an agreement with Galatasaray and signed a 4-year contract on July 31. The net transfer fee was €75 million, making him the player with the highest transfer fee in Turkish football history.
September 2025: Brand Ambassador for Moniepoint
In September 2025, Nigerian fintech company Moniepoint announced Osimhen as a brand ambassador as part of its “Made for Your Progress” campaign.
October 2025: Hat-Trick Against Benin
On 14 October 2025, Osimhen scored a hat-trick against Benin in Nigeria’s 4–0 victory, which sealed the Super Eagles’ place in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers playoffs.
2025: Ranked Among the Best Players in the World
In 2025, Osimhen was widely regarded as one of the best players in the world, with Nigeria’s head coach describing him as “the best striker in the world.” He was also named among the top 50 footballers globally in The Guardian's 2025 rankings, and by sports outlets such as SPORTbible and Goal.com.
2025: Africa Cup of Nations
In 2025, Victor Osimhen played at the Africa Cup of Nations.
January 2026: Fastest to 50 Goals for Galatasaray
On 24 January 2026, Victor Osimhen became the fastest player in Galatasaray history to reach 50 goals, achieving this milestone in 59 appearances.
2026: Extended contract with Napoli until 2026
In 2026, Osimhen extended his contract with Napoli until 2026, with a new release clause set at €130 million.
2026: 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
In March 2025, Osimhen scored two goals in a 2–0 away victory over Rwanda during the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification.
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