Victor Osimhen named among IFFHS World’s top scorers

Victor Osimhen named among IFFHS World’s top scorers

Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen has been named among the world’s most prolific international goalscorers, earning a place in the elite top 20 of the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS) rankings for the current decade.

The 27-year-old Galatasaray forward features in the IFFHS standings for Top Scorers of National Teams (2021–2030), placing him alongside some of the most accomplished finishers in modern football.

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Osimhen is currently joint 14th with Serbia’s Aleksandar Mitrović, with both players scoring 27 international goals since 2021. The ranking highlights his consistency and effectiveness for Nigeria over the past five years.

A breakdown of his performances shows steady progression: five goals in 2021, five in 2022 and five again in 2023. He added three goals in 2024 before delivering his most productive year in 2025, scoring nine times for the national team.

Norway’s Erling Haaland tops the IFFHS list with 49 goals, followed by England captain Harry Kane (46) and Argentina legend Lionel Messi (44). Cristiano Ronaldo sits on 41 goals, while France’s Kylian Mbappé completes the top five with 39.

Other notable names in the rankings include Memphis Depay and Mehdi Taremi (34 each), Romelu Lukaku and Sadio Mané (32), and Son Heung-min (28).

Beyond the decade standings, Osimhen is closing in on national history. Since making his Super Eagles debut in 2017, he has scored 35 goals in 51 appearances, making him Nigeria’s second-highest goalscorer of all time.

He now sits just two goals behind the legendary Rashidi Yekini, whose record of 37 goals has stood since 1998. With Nigeria’s World Cup qualifying campaign continuing later this year, the milestone appears well within reach.

Head of Sports at BusinessDay Media, a seasoned Digital Content Producer, and FIFA/CAF Accredited Journalist with over a decade of sports reporting.Has a deep understanding of the Nigerian and global sports landscape and skills in delivering comprehensive and insightful sports content.

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