History of Victor Osimhen in Timeline

Victor Osimhen is a Nigerian professional footballer renowned as one of the world's best strikers. He currently plays as a striker for Serie A club Napoli and is the vice-captain of the Nigeria national team. Osimhen is celebrated for his exceptional attributes, including explosive pace, remarkable physical strength, impressive aerial ability, and clinical finishing skills, making him a highly sought-after player.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

December 1998: Victor Osimhen's Birth

In December 1998, Victor James Osimhen was born. He is a Nigerian professional footballer known for playing as a striker for Süper Lig club Galatasaray and the vice-captain of the Nigeria national team.

December 1998: Osimhen's Birth in Lagos

In December 1998, Victor Osimhen was born in Lagos, Nigeria, as the youngest of seven children. He was raised in a densely populated community and faced poverty, selling sachet water to support his family.

1999: Nwankwo Kanu Wins African Footballer of the Year

In 1999, Nwankwo Kanu won the African Footballer of the Year award, marking the last time a Nigerian had received the honour until Osimhen in 2023.

2015: FIFA U-17 World Cup Breakthrough

In 2015, Victor Osimhen represented Nigeria at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile, where he emerged as the tournament’s top scorer with 10 goals and helped Nigeria win the title.

2015: Recognition at FIFA U-17 World Cup

In 2015, Victor Osimhen's performance at the FIFA U-17 World Cup gained him notice.

2015: Won the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile

In 2015, Victor Osimhen, as a member of the Nigeria under-17 team, won the 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.

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: Bundesliga Debut

In the 2016-17 season, Victor Osimhen made his Bundesliga debut for Wolfsburg on 13 May, coming on as a substitute in a 1–1 draw against Borussia Mönchengladbach.

January 2017: Official Move to VfL Wolfsburg

In January 2017, Victor Osimhen was scheduled to officially join VfL Wolfsburg based on the pre-contract signed in January 2016.

January 2017: Signs with VfL Wolfsburg

On 5 January 2017, Victor Osimhen officially signed a three-and-a-half-year deal with VfL Wolfsburg, lasting until June 2020.

June 2017: Senior International Debut

In June 2017, Victor Osimhen made his senior international debut for Nigeria.

June 2017: Official senior debut for Nigeria

On 10 June 2017, Victor Osimhen made his official senior debut for Nigeria in a 2–0 defeat against South Africa.

2017: Joins VfL Wolfsburg

In 2017, Victor Osimhen began his senior career in Germany at VfL Wolfsburg.

2017: Bundesliga Matchday Squads

In the first half of the 2017-18 season, Victor Osimhen was named in 12 of the 17 matchday squads, appearing in 5 games.

January 2018: Full Bundesliga Debut

On 28 January 2018, Victor Osimhen earned his full Bundesliga debut against Hannover, playing the full 90 minutes in their 1–0 win.

August 2018: Loan to Charleroi

On 22 August 2018, Victor Osimhen joined Belgian club Charleroi on a season-long loan deal after failing to score in any of his 16 appearances with Wolfsburg.

November 2018: Recalled to the Nigeria national team

In November 2018, following a successful start to his loan spell at Charleroi, Victor Osimhen was recalled by Gernot Rohr for the international break, starting their friendly win over Uganda.

2018: Loan to Charleroi

In 2018, Victor Osimhen moved to Belgian side Charleroi on loan.

March 2019: Represented the Nigerian U23 side

In March 2019, Victor 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 for a reported fee of €12 million plus bonuses.

September 2019: Ligue 1 Player of the Month

In September 2019, Victor Osimhen was named the Ligue 1 Player of the Month after scoring two goals and assisting two more in Lille's five league matches.

October 2019: First Champions League Goal

On 2 October 2019, Victor Osimhen scored his first goal in the UEFA Champions League during a 1–2 home defeat to Chelsea.

2019: Africa Cup of Nations Participation

In 2019, Victor Osimhen played at the Africa Cup of Nations.

2019: Participated in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations

In 2019, Victor Osimhen was listed in the final list for the Africa Cup of Nations tournament in Egypt. He replaced the injured Odion Ighalo at half-time in the third-place match, playing a total of 45 minutes in the tournament, where they beat Tunisia 1-0.

June 2020: End of Wolfsburg Deal

In June 2020, Victor Osimhen's three-and-a-half-year deal with VfL Wolfsburg, signed in January 2017, came to an end.

June 2020: Lille's Player of the Season

On 2 June 2020, Victor Osimhen was awarded Lille's Player of the Season, having secured the highest number of votes from fans.

July 2020: Signs with Napoli

On 31 July 2020, Victor Osimhen signed with Serie A club Napoli, for a club-record fee.

2020: Transfers to Napoli

In 2020, Victor Osimhen transferred to Serie A side Napoli for a club-record fee of €80 million.

January 2021: Return to Napoli After Injury and COVID-19

On 29 January 2021, Victor Osimhen returned to the Napoli side after recovering from a shoulder injury and contracting COVID-19, being subbed on during a Coppa Italia win against Spezia.

September 2021: Scores 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 Against Inter Milan

In November 2021, Victor Osimhen suffered a head injury, a fractured skull and eye socket in Napoli's 3–2 loss to Inter Milan at San Siro.

2021: Missed the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations

In 2021, Victor Osimhen missed the Africa Cup of Nations supposedly due to COVID-19 as claimed by his club Napoli, which provoked controversy and discussions about club versus country obligations. The Napoli owner, Aurelio De Laurentiis, made controversial statements about signing African players due to AFCON participation.

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 his first child

In October 2022, Victor Osimhen announced the birth of his first child, a daughter named Haly.

October 2022: First Champions League Goal with Napoli

On 12 October 2022, Victor Osimhen scored his first Champions League goal with Napoli in a 4–2 win over Ajax, securing their qualification to the knockout phase.

January 2023: Scores Two Against 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 29 May 2023, Victor Osimhen was made a Member of the Federal Republic by President Muhammadu Buhari.

September 2023: Scored his second international hat-trick

In September 2023, Victor Osimhen scored his second international hat-trick in Nigeria's 6–0 win against São Tomé and Principe in the reverse fixture played at the Godswill Akpabio International Stadium, Uyo. He finished the 2023 AFCON qualifiers as top scorer with 10 goals.

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: Returns 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: Called up for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations

In December 2023, Victor Osimhen was called up for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast, where he scored a goal in the opening match against Equatorial Guinea which ended in a 1–1 draw.

December 2023: First Champions League Goal of the Season

On 12 December 2023, Victor Osimhen scored his first goal of the 2023–24 Champions League campaign in a 2–0 victory over Braga, securing Napoli's progression to the knockout stages.

2023: Ballon d'Or and CAF Awards Recognition

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 a hat-trick in a 6–1 away win over Sassuolo

On 28 February 2024, Victor Osimhen scored a hat-trick in a 6–1 away win over Sassuolo, becoming the third player to score at least ten goals in Serie A in four consecutive seasons at Napoli, following Diego Maradona and Attila Sallustro.

August 2024: Failed transfer deals with Al-Ahli and Chelsea

In August 2024, a potential deal for Victor Osimhen to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli fell through after Napoli changed their asking price. A proposed move to Chelsea also failed as the player couldn't agree to a deal with the Premier League side.

2024: Loan to Galatasaray

Ahead of the 2024–25 season, Victor Osimhen was loaned to Turkish side Galatasaray, where he finished as the league's top scorer and won a domestic double.

2024: Joined Adidas

In 2024, Victor Osimhen joined Adidas, after being sponsored by Nike.

2024: Transfer to Galatasaray and first goals for the club

In 2024, Victor Osimhen joined Turkish Süper Lig club Galatasaray, scoring his first goals for the club with a brace in a 3–3 draw with Kasımpaşa on 28 September. He also scored his first goals in Europe for Galatasaray, netting a first half brace in a 3–2 win against Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League.

March 2025: Scored hat-trick with Galatasaray

On 14 March 2025, Victor Osimhen scored his first hat-trick with Galatasaray in a 4–0 victory over Antalyaspor.

April 2025: Appeared in a television commercial for Ülker Çizi

In April 2025, Victor Osimhen appeared in a television commercial for Ülker Çizi, a popular Turkish snack brand produced by Ülker. The advertisement marked his first major endorsement following his loan move to Galatasaray.

June 2025: Goal of the Season

In June 2025, Victor 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 a 4-year contract with Galatasaray

In July 2025, Victor Osimhen signed a 4-year contract with Galatasaray with a net transfer fee of €75 million paid to his former club Napoli. This made Osimhen 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 Victor Osimhen as a brand ambassador as part of its “Made for Your Progress” campaign.

October 2025: Scored a hat-trick against Benin

On 14 October 2025, Victor 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.

December 2025: Called up to the Nigeria squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations

On 11 December 2025, Victor Osimhen was called up to the Nigeria squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

2025: Africa Cup of Nations

In 2025, Victor Osimhen played at the Africa Cup of Nations.

2025: Ranked among the top footballers globally

In 2025, Victor Osimhen was named among the top 50 footballers globally in The Guardian's rankings, and sports outlets like SPORTbible and Goal.com have consistently placed him among the world’s elite forwards.

January 2026: Became the fastest player in Galatasaray history to reach 50 goals

On 24 January 2026, Victor Osimhen became the fastest player in Galatasaray history to reach 50 goals, achieving the milestone in just 59 appearances after scoring in a league match against Fatih Karagmürük.