Victor Osimhen, Nwankwo Kanu, John Obi Mikel: Who are Nigeria's top UEFA Champions League performers?
Thursday, November 20, 2025
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Which Nigerian players have the most appearances and goals in Europe's leading club competition?
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Victor Osimhen has been scoring at a stunning rate in UEFA club competitions, the former Napoli forward's recent flurry of goals making him Nigeria's all-time top scorer in the UEFA Champions League (15 goals in 20 games) and indeed in all men's club competition (25 goals in 35 games).
However, if the 26-year-old is turning heads across Europe, he still has a way to go if he is to match the Nigerian appearance records set by Nwankwo Kanu, or the Champions League titles of John Obi Mikel and Finidi George. Meet the Nigerian players who have made the biggest splashes in UEFA's competitions.
Last updated: 21/11/2025
Most appearances by a Nigerian player in the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (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 Moskva, 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 the European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League (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 Moskva, Leicester)
Most appearances by a Nigerian player in UEFA club competition*
81: Nwankwo Kanu (Ajax, Inter, Arsenal, Portsmouth)
81: Peter Olayinka (Skënderbeu, Zulte Waregem, Slavia Praha, Crvena Zvezda)
78: Taye Taiwo (Marseille, AC Milan, Dynamo Kyiv, Bursaspor, HJK Helsinki, RoPS Rovaniemi)
70: John Obi Mikel (Chelsea, Trabzonspor)
63: Obafemi Martins (Inter, Newcastle, Wolfsburg, Rubin, Levante)
55: Raphael Onyedika (Midtjylland, Club Brugge)
53: Céléstine Babayaro (Anderlecht, Chelsea, Newcastle)
53: Samu Chukwueze (Villarreal, AC Milan)
53: Cyriel Dessers (Lokeren, Utrecht, Genk, Feyenoord, Rangers, Panathinaikos)
52: Jay-Jay Okocha (Eintracht Frankfurt, Fenerbahçe, Paris, Bolton)
Top-scoring Nigerians in UEFA club competition*
25: Victor Osimhen (Lille, Napoli, Galatasaray)
23: Obafemi Martins (Inter, Newcastle, Wolfsburg, Rubin, Levante)
19: Victor Boniface (Bodø/Glimt, Union SG, Leverkusen)
18: Cyriel Dessers (Lokeren, Utrecht, Genk, Feyenoord, Rangers, Panathinaikos)
15: Shola Ameobi (Newcastle)
15: Victor Ikpeba (RFC Liège, Monaco, Dortmund)
14: Gift Orban (Gent, Lyon)
13: Jay-Jay Okocha (Eintracht Frankfurt, Fenerbahçe, Paris, Bolton)
13: Peter Olayinka (Skënderbeu, Zulte Waregem, Slavia Praha, Crvena Zvezda)
13: Ayegbeni Yakubu (Maccabi Haifa, Middlesbrough, Everton)
Nigerian landmarks
First Nigerian player to play in a major UEFA club competition final
Stephen Keshi (Sampdoria 2-0 Anderlecht, 1990 European Cup Winners' Cup)
Nigerians who have won a European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League final
Finidi George & Nwankwo Kanu (Ajax 1-0 AC Milan, 1995)
Jon Obi Mikel (Bayern München 1-1 Chelsea, aet, Chelsea win 4-3 on pens, 2012)
Nigerians who have won a UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League final
Taribo West (Lazio 0-3 Internazionale Milano, 1998)
Chidi Odiah (Sporting CP 1-3 CSKA Moskva, 2005)
Ademola Lookman (Atalanta 3-0 Leverkusen, 2024)
*UEFA club competitions = European Champion Clubs' Cup/UEFA Champions League, UEFA Cup/UEFA Europa League, UEFA Europa Conference League, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, UEFA Super Cup, European/South American Cup and UEFA Intertoto Cup