Victor Osimhen

The Eagle of Olusosun and King of Naples are two tales that didn’t always exist until it did and now surpassing Naples he’s king in Galatasaray. Victor James Osimhen was born on December 29, 1998, in Lagos, Nigeria, the youngest of six siblings. He grew up in Olusosun, a poor neighborhood in Lagos near one of Africa’s largest dumpsites, an environment that shaped his early life with hardship and resilience.

Victor’s parents, Patrick and Christiana Osimhen, both passed away—his mother when he was still a child and his father in 2020 after witnessing Victor’s rise in football. His family faced severe economic challenges; his eldest brother Andrew sold newspapers by the roadside, and his sister Blessing was a petty trader who supported Victor’s football dreams by buying him jerseys and boots. As a child, Victor himself hawked sachet water and other items in Lagos traffic to help support the family.

He attended Olusosun Primary School, where his passion for football grew as he played with other local boys. Victor’s football journey began on the streets and local fields of Lagos. His first pair of football boots were picked up from the Olusosun dumpsite. His talent was soon recognized, leading to his inclusion in Nigeria’s U17 national team. He made a global impact by finishing as the top scorer in the 2015 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile with 10 goals, helping Nigeria win the tournament and earning the Golden Boot award.

His professional career started in Europe with VfL Wolfsburg in Germany in 2017, but after limited success, he was loaned to Charleroi in Belgium, where his performance improved dramatically. He then moved to Lille in France, scoring 18 goals in one season, which earned him a high-profile transfer to Napoli in Italy’s Serie A.

He suffered injuries during his time at Napoli, including a facial fracture in 2021 that required surgery and sidelined him for months. At Napoli, Osimhen became a key player, helping the club win the Serie A title in 2023 and establishing himself as one of the best strikers in the world.

Napoli officially left Osimhen out of their 23-man Serie A squad for the entire 2024/25 season, effectively sidelining him from competitive matches. The club took the drastic step of stripping Osimhen of his iconic number 9 jersey and handed it to new signing Romelu Lukaku, signaling a clear replacement and Osimhen’s diminished role.

Victor Osimhen’s loan move to Galatasaray in the 2024/25 season marked a remarkable turnaround following his difficult period at Napoli. His time in Turkey has been highly successful, both individually and collectively, Osimhen played a pivotal role in Galatasaray’s double triumph, winning both the Turkish Süper Lig and the Turkish Cup in May 2025. He broke the record for the most goals scored by a foreign player in a single Turkish Süper Lig season with 35 goals and set a personal best by scoring 33 goals in all competitions in the 2024-25 season, exceeding his previous career-high of 31 goals with Napoli.

Victor Osimhen’s stellar performances and trophy haul at Galatasaray have revitalized his career, turning a challenging period at Napoli into one of the most successful chapters of his professional journey.