Victor Osimhen's Success and Achievements in Timeline

A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Victor Osimhen.

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.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

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: 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.

September 2019: Ligue 1 Player of the Month

In September 2019, Victor Osimhen was named the Ligue 1 Player of the Month.

June 2020: Lille's Player of the Season

On 2 June 2020, Victor Osimhen was awarded Lille's Player of the Season.

2021: Serie A Best Young Player Award

In the 2021–22 season, Victor Osimhen won the Serie A Best Young Player award.

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".

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.

September 2023: Second International Hat-Trick

On 10 September 2023, Osimhen scored his second international hat-trick in Nigeria's 6–0 win against São Tomé and Principe, finishing the 2023 AFCON qualifiers as top scorer with 10 goals.

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.

2024: Transfer to Galatasaray and Europa League Goals

In 2024, Victor Osimhen transferred to Galatasaray. He scored his first goals for the club in a match against Kasımpaşa and later scored his first goals in Europe for Galatasaray in a Europa League match against Tottenham Hotspur.

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.

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.

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.