Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!
Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen finished 2025 as Nigeria’s highest goalscorer and the fifth most prolific player in world football, following a stellar year for both club and country.
According to SunSports, Osimhen scored a total of 46 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions for Galatasaray and the Nigerian national team, capping an outstanding 2024/25 season and an impressive start to the 2025/26 campaign.
The 27-year-old forward found the net nine times in 10 appearances for Nigeria, while contributing 37 goals in 42 matches for Turkish giants Galatasaray. His tally placed him joint fifth globally alongside eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, who also scored 46 goals but required 54 matches to reach the mark.
Osimhen finished behind only Kylian Mbappé, who topped the global chart with 66 goals, Harry Kane (60), Erling Haaland (57), and Kevin Hernández of Puerto Rico’s SSC (48).
Other players on the global list included Vangelis Pavlidis of Benfica and Greece with 45 goals, Guilherme Bissoli of Buriram United and Brazil with 44, Cristiano Ronaldo with 41, and Jorge Rivera of Metropolitan FA and Puerto Rico with 40 goals.
READ ALSO: Nigeria to Face Mozambique in AFCON 2025 Round of 16
Osimhen opened his 2025 goal account on January 4 in Galatasaray’s 2–1 Turkish Super Lig victory over Göztepe. His final goal of the year came on December 13 in a 4–1 win against Antalyaspor, shortly before he linked up with the Super Eagles squad for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.
His prolific scoring helped Galatasaray secure a domestic double last season, with Osimhen emerging as the Turkish Super Lig’s top scorer.
Behind Osimhen, several other Nigerian players also recorded notable goal tallies in 2025, though at a considerable distance.
Cyriel Dessers scored 22 goals in 44 appearances for club and country. Despite not being a regular starter for the Super Eagles, the striker impressed at club level after moving from Rangers to Panathinaikos in Greece, scoring once for Nigeria in a March international friendly.
Paul Onuachu netted 15 goals in 34 matches following his return to Turkey with Trabzonspor after a challenging spell in England. His goals included his maiden Africa Cup of Nations strike during Nigeria’s group-stage encounter with Uganda.
Tolu Arokodare scored 14 goals in 54 appearances during the year. The striker, who moved to Wolverhampton Wanderers after an impressive 2024/25 season in Belgium, also registered his first Super Eagles goal in Nigeria’s 1–0 win over Rwanda in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers on September 6, 2025.
Ademola Lookman completed the list of top Nigerian scorers in 2025 with 13 goals in 44 appearances for club and country.