In May 2025, Victor Osimhen blew up the internet. Transfermarkt reported he was the most searched footballer of the month, passing even the GOATs like Messi and Ronaldo. Talk around Osimhen’s Napoli transfer was nonstop. Big Premier League clubs were increasingly mentioned in fan threads, which is exactly when the searches skyrocketed.
Interestingly, it wasn’t just “goals” or “best striker” that fans typed. Searches like “Osimhen net worth” and “Victor Osimhen news” all spiked at once. For African fans, it felt like watching a rags-to-riches story unfold in real time. Yet for casual football followers, this Nigerian striker remains a name that’s only recently entered the global spotlight.
So, who is Victor Osimhen really? Here’s a profile that tells you everything about one of Africa’s current best footballers.
Victor Osimhen’s Rise to Fame
Victor Osimhen didn’t arrive on the world stage by accident. His trajectory has been shaped by steady recognition, career-defining moments, and a reputation built from the ground up. Below is his story, lined up from the start, so you can see how it unfolds.
Childhood in Lagos
Born in Lagos on December 29, 1998, Osimhen grew up as the youngest of six siblings in Olusosun, one of the city’s tougher, working-class neighbourhoods. Life got rough after his mother passed away and his father lost his job. He’s said many times that those years shaped his resilience.
In a 2015 CAF Online interview, the Nigerian said: “I really hustled on the streets of Lagos and toyed with the idea of doing so many things initially.”
His earliest life lessons came from the streets, by selling sachet water in traffic, keeping side interests like music alive, and absorbing the chaos of Lagos football culture before the game fully took over.
Early Passion for Football
Osimhen’s passion for football was shaped by the hustle and bustle of his neighbourhood. He started out barefoot on concrete and sand pitches, often chasing improvised balls with friends.
Those scrappy games sharpened the fast, instinctive style he’s known for today. His older brother, a striker for a local team, also played a role in shaping his early technique.
With Didier Drogba as his idol and his brother mentoring him, Victor eventually joined the Ultimate Strikers Academy in Lagos, the move that finally put him on the radar of soccer scouts.
Youth Career and First Successes
Osimhen first entered national conversations in 2015, playing for the Nigeria U‑17 team under coach Emmanuel Amuneke. His rise stood out fast, largely because of how rare it was for a young striker to break through from a 3,000-plus player pool.
His momentum continued into the 2015 U-17 World Cup in Chile, where his goal tally earned him the Golden Boot and helped Nigeria win the trophy. This put him at the center of global recognition. After that, European scouts moved quickly, and in 2017, he officially marked his entry into European football, playing for VfL Wolfsburg.
Club Career and Major Contracts
Any fans who judged Victor Osimhen on his early years at VfL Wolfsburg would’ve written him off too soon. But the injuries and rough moments he faced there became part of the striker he grew into just a few years later.
Breakthrough at Lille
After a 16-match, goalless run with VfL Wolfsburg, Osimhen moved on loan to Belgium’s Royal Charleroi S.C. That spell became the reset he badly needed. Scoring 20 goals in 36 games, the confidence boost showed immediately.
He said it himself during an interview: “My confidence level was very low at some point, and what going out on loan to Charleroi has done for me is unexplainable.”
Charleroi was the turning point before the next big break arrived in 2019, when Lille OSC handed Osimhen a five-year deal at €12 million, and another €3 million in bonuses. His time in France took off quickly, with his name gaining momentum in every fan conversation.
Awards and league-wide recognition soon followed. His superb performances for the club in Ligue 1 earned him top honours, including Player of the Month (September 2019), Player of the Season 2020, and the 2020 Marc-Vivien Foé prize.
Record Move to Napoli
In 2020, Osimhen’s valuation hit a whole new bracket when SSC Napoli announced his signing. The move from France to Italy, valued at over €80 million, was one of the biggest transfers involving a striker from Africa at the time. Local media and global football pundits described it as a club-record push for Napoli, placing the 21-year-old at the center of their attacking ambition.
His arrival at Napoli opened up a new stage of domination. Here, he first became Nigeria’s highest goal scorer in the Italian Serie A, then broke George Weah’s and Samuel Eto’o’s records to become the highest-scoring African player in Serie A with 47 goals by May 2023.
In the 2022-23 season, Osimhen was crucial to Napoli winning the Serie A title, a historic crown for the club after 33 years, marking the biggest moment of his career with them so far.
Contract Renewal with Napoli and Transfer to Galatasaray
The start of the 2023-24 season brought more glad tidings for Victor Osimhen, as he was crowned the CAF Footballer of the Year 2023, followed by a contract extension with Napoli. The deal earned him €10 million per year and set a new release clause at €130 million.
The 2024-25 season saw an uptick in transfer chatter around big Premier League and Ligue 1 clubs, but the young star eventually settled for a loan move to Galatasaray from Napoli. He later confirmed his full transfer to his new club ahead of the 2025-26 season for a record fee of €75 million, becoming the player with the highest transfer fee in Turkish football history.
Osimhen dominated and continued to do so in Turkish football. In the 2024-25 season, he scored 35 goals in 39 official matches. He set a new record for most goals scored in a single season by a foreign player in Turkey, and helped Galatasaray win the 2025 Turkish Cup.
Career Goals
Victor Osimhen’s bicycle kick goal in a match against Antalyaspor was voted the Turkish League Goal of 2024-25. His latest goal hat-trick against Ajax allowed him to overtake Obafemi Martins as Nigeria’s all-time top scorer in European competitions.
Here’s a quick look at his career goals, as reported by Transfermarkt.
| Years Active | Team | Apps | Goals |
| 2016 – 2018 | VfL Wolfsburg | 16 | 0 |
| 2018 – 2019 | Royal Charleroi SC | 36 | 20 |
| 2019 – 2020 | Lille OSC | 38 | 18 |
| 2020 – 2024 | SSC Napoli | 133 | 76 |
| 2024 – Present | Galatasaray | 53 | 46 |
| Total | 277 | 160 | |
| International Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Nigeria U17 | 13 | 14 |
| Nigeria U23 | 4 | 3 |
| Nigeria National Team | 46 | 31 |
| Total | 63 | 48 |
Sources of Income Beyond Club Salary
If you’re among the fans searching for ‘Osimhen net worth,’ this breakdown will help you understand the economics. Beyond his €15 million annual salary at Galatasaray, he pulls in substantial income from endorsements, brand deals, image rights, and performance bonuses.
Endorsements, Sponsorships, and Brand Collaborations
Over the years, Victor Osimhen has signed deals with major companies. Zonal Sports reports the following sponsorships:
- Nike: Multi-year boot deal, including image rights until 2024.
- Adidas: Multi-year deal for Adidas F50 Elite LL starting in 2025.
- Pepsi Nigeria: CSR Ambassador for campaigns targeting Nigerian youth.
- Reckitt (Dettol Nigeria): Ambassador for regional hygiene campaigns.
- GOtv (MultiChoice): Endorsement of the pay-TV platform in Nigeria from 2021.
- Ülker (Turkey): $1.7 million ad campaign for Turkish snack company in 2025.
These partnerships reportedly bring in an additional $1-2 million annually, highlighting Osimhen’s growing global marketability.
Image Rights and Personal Branding
The star has a €5 million image‑rights clause per season in his Galatasaray contract. Off the field, he is building his personal brand, having filed for the trademark VO9, signaling ambitions beyond football. For example, merchandise.
Bonuses and Appearance Fees
Apart from his fixed salary, Osimhen earns up to €1 million per season in performance bonuses and loyalty incentives from his Galatasaray contract.
Assets, Investments, and Lifestyle
Zonal Sports and Score Nigeria did a deep dive into the finances of Victor Osimhen. According to these reports, the striker hasn’t only relied on his playing salary. He’s also building a solid foundation for life after football.
Real Estate and Luxury Homes
The 26-year-old has positioned properties along his career path. He owns a villa in Naples’ upscale Posillipo district and a Bosphorus-side home in Istanbul, finalised in 2025, showing a long-term commitment to Galatasaray.
In Nigeria, he owns land in Lekki and Mowe and has gifted a three-bedroom house to a disabled vendor from his youth, combining investment with philanthropy.
Car Collection and Personal Style
Osimhen’s car collection reportedly includes a Rolls‑Royce Cullinan, Lamborghini Urus, Mercedes‑Benz G‑Wagon, and Range Rover Sport, with rumours of a Ferrari Portofino.
His lifestyle is just as high-end, with a wardrobe that leans on Balenciaga, Louis Vuitton, and Off-White, complemented by Rolex and Audemars Piguet watches, and holidays spent in Capri, Ibiza, and Dubai.
Business Ventures and Future Plans
Mindful of the brevity of a football career, Osimhen is diversifying through real estate, land development, and philanthropy. He has also filed for the VO9 trademark with plans to launch his own line of merchandise and build a personal brand beyond football.
Victor Osimhen Net Worth
Now for the answers you’ve been waiting for. What’s Victor Osimhen worth? We pulled figures from multiple reputable public sources. Football finance outlets place his net worth in different ballparks, each measuring it differently.
Current Estimates
Here’s how different news outlets have calculated Osimhen’s net worth:
| Outlet | Methodology | Estimated Net Worth |
| Afrikfoot | Assets owned and endorsement contracts. | $10-12 Million |
| Score Nigeria | Club and endorsement contracts plus assets owned. | $25-30 Million |
| Zonal Sports | Club career earnings, including lifetime royalties. | €47 million |
| Transfermarkt | Future market projections and estimated contract value. | €75 million |
Factoring in bonuses, national-team pay, sponsorships, and early investments, Osimhen’s true net position likely sits somewhere between these figures.
Difference in the Calculation of Estimates
Major outlets present widely varying figures for Victor Osimhen’s net worth, largely because each source uses a different methodology. Yet regardless of which number you pick, all estimates underline his global appeal, commercial strength, and stature as one of Nigeria’s most successful modern footballers.
F.A.Q.
-
What is Victor Osimhen’s net worth in 2025?
-
How much did Osimhen earn monthly at Napoli?
-
Which brands sponsor Victor Osimhen?
-
How does he manage his wealth and lifestyle?
Leave a Reply