Victor Osimhen Makes History as First Nigerian to Score 10 UEFA Champions League Goals

On a night dripping with history and high drama, Victor Osimhen etched his name into European football’s golden pages by becoming the first Nigerian player to reach 10 goals in the UEFA Champions League.

His milestone strike, a coolly converted penalty against Liverpool, was not just another goal under the lights—it was a moment that elevated his status from national hero to continental legend.

The iconic moment came in Galatasaray colors, where Osimhen has been on loan since September 2024.

After the final whistle, cameras captured him holding the Player of the Match award, his broad grin reflecting the weight of what he had just accomplished.

This was no ordinary statistic. For years, Nigerian strikers have dazzled in Europe but struggled to stamp a long-term mark on the Champions League. Yakubu Aiyegbeni, once the shining light, had made headlines with his hat-trick for Maccabi Haifa against Olympiakos in 2002, but his overall UCL tally ended at just four. Obafemi Martins, the speedster of Inter Milan and later Wolfsburg, reached nine. Even the great Nwankwo Kanu never cracked double digits in the competition.

Now, Osimhen has broken that ceiling. By hitting the 10-goal landmark, he not only surpassed his predecessors but also joined an exclusive club of African strikers. Only 12 players from the continent have ever reached double figures in the Champions League, a list dominated by names like Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, Mohamed Salah, and Sadio Mané. To see Osimhen’s name etched alongside theirs is a testament to both his talent and his resilience.

What makes this achievement even more remarkable is the journey that led him here. When Osimhen completed his shock loan move to Galatasaray from Napoli last year, critics questioned the decision. Why swap Serie A, where he had become a champion and Capocannoniere, for a Turkish club often dismissed as an outsider in Europe? But in just five Champions League matches, Osimhen has silenced doubters with a blistering run of five goals. His blend of power, pace, and predatory finishing has made him Galatasaray’s spearhead and one of the competition’s most feared forwards.

For Nigeria, the achievement carries symbolic weight. The Super Eagles have long produced strikers of flair and firepower—Rashidi Yekini, Daniel Amokachi, Julius Aghahowa—but few have consistently delivered on Europe’s grandest stage. Osimhen’s success has become a source of national pride, uniting fans who flooded social media with tributes under hashtags like #Osimhen10 and #NaijaNoDeyCarryLast. On X (formerly Twitter), fans drew comparisons to Drogba’s dominance at Chelsea, predicting that Osimhen could soon surpass even more African greats if his UCL scoring form continues.

The numbers back it up. In just 15 Champions League appearances, Osimhen has racked up 10 goals—an astonishing strike rate for a player still only 26. His conversion rate of penalties has also drawn admiration, with commentators noting that he brings the same ruthless composure from the spot that made him Serie A’s deadliest striker two seasons ago.

Beyond the stats, the human story resonates most. Osimhen’s rise from the crowded streets of Olusosun in Lagos, where he sold sachet water as a boy, to the glamour of the Champions League is a modern-day fairytale. His every goal becomes a reminder of hope for young Nigerian players dreaming of Europe. His every celebration carries echoes of struggle and triumph.

Liverpool’s defeat may sting for their fans, but for Africa, this match will be remembered as a coronation. As Osimhen lifted the Player of the Match award, his place in history was cemented—not just as a scorer of goals but as a trailblazer for a footballing nation that has long craved its mark on the European stage.

The road ahead is wide open. With Galatasaray chasing a shock run in the competition, Osimhen’s boots will be relied upon even more. Whether this is a brief loan chapter or the start of a long continental saga, one thing is certain: Victor Osimhen is no longer just Nigeria’s best striker—he is now its greatest ever in the UEFA Champions League.

And if destiny has more pages left for him to write, Drogba and Eto’o may one day find the Lagos boy knocking on the doors of their own legendary records.