The UEFA Champions League has given us unforgettable Nigerian moments for more than three decades, and we’re asking the big question today – who is Nigeria’s UCL GOAT?
Victor Osimhen has forced his way into the conversation with frightening speed. The Galatasaray striker is now Nigeria’s all-time top Champions League scorer, hitting 15 goals in just 20 matches, a record he grabbed while still only 26 years old. Add his total of 25 goals in UEFA competitions overall, and it’s clear that Nigeria’s number nine is building a legacy worthy of the elite.
But goals alone don’t settle this debate.
For all of Osimhen’s brilliance, he is still chasing the giants who shaped Nigerian history in Europe long before him. Nwankwo Kanu remains Nigeria’s appearance king with 60 Champions League games and 81 across all UEFA competitions, spanning Ajax, Inter and Arsenal. He won the trophy with Ajax in 1995 and remains one of the most respected Nigerian names ever to grace Europe.
Then there is John Obi Mikel, a player whose influence was rarely measured in goals. With 59 Champions League appearances, a winners’ medal from 2012, and a decade controlling midfield battles for Chelsea, Mikel’s European legacy is built on longevity and success at the very highest level. You also cannot ignore Finidi George, part of the legendary 1995 Ajax side alongside Kanu.
Most appearances by a Nigerian player in the UCL (excluding qualifying)
60: Nwankwo Kanu (Ajax, Arsenal)
59: John Obi Mikel (Chelsea)
34: Obafemi Martins (Inter, Wolfsburg, Rubin)
31: Taye Taiwo (Marseille, AC Milan, Dynamo Kyiv)
28: Zaidu (Porto)
25: Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow, Leicester)
20: Samu Chukwueze (Villarreal, AC Milan)
20: Finidi George (Ajax)
20: Raphael Onyedika (Midtjylland, Club Brugge)
20: Victor Osimhen (Lille, Napoli, Galatasaray)
Top-scoring Nigerians in UCL (excluding qualifying)
15: Victor Osimhen (Lille, Napoli, Galatasaray)
9: Obafemi Martins (Inter, Wolfsburg, Rubin)
7: Victor Ikpeba (Monaco)
5: Nwankwo Kanu (Ajax, Arsenal)
5: Ademola Lookman (Leipzig, Atalanta)
5: Ayegbeni Yakubu (Maccabi Haifa)
4: Samu Chukwueze (Villarreal, AC Milan)
3: Shola Ameobi (Newcastle)
3: Tijani Babangida (Ajax)
3: Emmanuel Dennis (Club Brugge)
3: George Ilenikhena (Antwerp, Monaco)
3: Ahmed Musa (CSKA Moscow, Leicester)
