Osimhen Finishes 2025 As Nigeria’s Top Scorer, Matches Messi’s Global Tally

Osimhen Finishes 2025 As Nigeria’s Top Scorer, Matches Messi’s Global Tally

By BSN Sports 

Victor Osimhen capped an exceptional year by finishing 2025 as Nigeria’s leading goalscorer, underlining his status as one of world football’s most prolific forwards. The Galatasaray striker scored 46 goals in 52 appearances for club and country, a return that also placed him joint fifth on the global scoring charts alongside Lionel Messi.

Osimhen’s tally came from nine goals in 10 matches for Nigeria and 37 goals in 42 appearances for Galatasaray, marking a strong follow-up to an outstanding 2024/25 season and an impressive start to the 2025/26 campaign.

Globally, the Nigerian international finished behind only Kylian Mbappé, who led the rankings with 66 goals, Harry Kane (60), Erling Haaland (57), and Kevin Hernández of Puerto Rico’s SSC (48). Osimhen matched Messi’s 46-goal total but achieved the feat in fewer matches, with the Argentine reaching the figure in 54 appearances.

Other players on the 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.

Osimhen opened his 2025 account on January 4 in Galatasaray’s 2–1 Turkish Super Lig victory over Göztepe and scored his final club goal of the year on December 13 in a 4–1 win against Antalyaspor, shortly before joining the Super Eagles camp for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

His prolific form also earned him the Turkish Super Lig Golden Boot last season, as Galatasaray completed a domestic league and cup double.

While Osimhen stood clear at the top of Nigeria’s scoring chart, several other Super Eagles forwards also made notable contributions during the year.

Cyriel Dessers followed with 22 goals in 44 appearances for club and country after moving from Rangers to Panathinaikos, with one of those goals coming for Nigeria in a March international friendly.

Paul Onuachu recorded 15 goals in 34 matches following his return to Turkey with Trabzonspor, including his first-ever AFCON goal during Nigeria’s group-stage encounter with Uganda.

Tolu Arokodare netted 14 goals in 54 appearances, highlighted by his maiden Super Eagles goal in Nigeria’s 1–0 World Cup qualifying win over Rwanda in September.

Ademola Lookman completed the list with 13 goals in 44 games. Only two of those goals came for Nigeria, both during the group stage of the 2025 AFCON, as injuries and transfer-related issues limited his involvement at club level for part of the year.