Football is unique in that it is a game that people of all ages, regardless of gender, enjoy and cherish.
Nigerian football players have not only achieved great success in their sport but have also amassed a sizeable fortune and following.
These have been attained by investments, contract signings, and endorsements.
Here is a list of Nigeria’s top 10 football icons who have amassed sufficient wealth for themselves.
Summary of top 10 richest Footballers in Nigeria
- John Mikel Obi $50 million
- Odion Ighalo $38 million
- Kelechi Ihenacho $35 million
- Wilfred Ndidi $30 million
- Alex Nwobi $29 million
- Victor Moses $ 26 million
- Ahmed Musa $23 million
- Emmanuel Emenike $15 million
- Victor Osimhen $10 million
- Samuel Chukwueze $5 million
1. John Mikel Obi
With an estimated net worth of $50 million, Nigerian football legend John Mikel Obi is the richest player in the country.
Born in Plateau, Jos, Nigeria on April 22, 1987, he was christened John Michael Nchekwube Obinna.
He was a defensive midfielder for Stoke City and a former professional football player from Nigeria.
He is the Nigerian national team’s most devoted and longest-serving captain.
After starting his football career with the local team Plateau United, Mikel moved on to play for the English team Chelsea for a while before joining the Norwegian club Lyn in 2004.
After that, he agreed to a contract with Shanghai Shenhua and became extremely wealthy.
2. Odion Ighalo
Born on June 16, 1989, Odion Jude Ighalo is a professional football player from Nigeria who plays forward for both the Nigerian national team and Al-Wehda, a Saudi Pro League team.
With a net worth of roughly $38 million, he is among the highest paid football players in Nigeria and ranks second on the list.
Before joining the Norwegian club Lyn in 2007, he started his career at the Nigerian clubs Julius Berger and Prime.
Watford, a championship club, and Udinese, an Italian club, among other foreign teams, signed him. His company and wealth have grown as a result of these deals.
3. Kelechi Iheanacho
Kelechi Promise Iheanacho, a forward for Leicester City of the EFL Championship and the Nigeria national team, was born in Nigeria on October 3, 1996.
Nicknamed Senior Man, he is a prolific goalscorer with inventive skills who is well-known for his vision, dribbling, speed, and finishing.
With an estimated $35 million in net worth, he is the third wealthiest football player in Nigeria.
In addition to his football earnings, he has made real estate and other business investments.
4. Wilfred Ndidi
Born on December 16, 1996, Onyinye Wilfred Ndidi is a professional football player from Nigeria who plays defensive midfield for both the Nigerian national team and Leicester City, an EFL Championship club. Ndidi is renowned for his ability on defense.
He has an estimated net worth of approximately $30 million, making him the fourth richest football player in Nigeria. He runs several other businesses, which adds to his substantial fortune.
5. Alex Iwobi
Nigerian professional football player Alexander Chuka Iwobi was born on May 3, 1996. He plays midfield for both the Nigerian national team and Fulham in the Premier League.
With a net worth of roughly $29 million, Alex Iwobi is the fifth richest football player in Nigeria.
His involvement in multiple endorsement deals in Nigeria and abroad shows that his financial success goes beyond his football career. Further expected to increase Iwobi’s net worth is the fact that he has a contract renewal with Everton.
He is seen as one of Nigeria’s brightest football stars, Iwobi’s off-the-pitch endeavors contribute significantly to his overall wealth and status in the world of football.
6. Victor Moses
Born on December 12, 1990, Victor Moses is a professional football player from Nigeria who plays on either flank as a winger for the Russian team Spartak Moscow. He has also been deployed as a wing-back at times during his career.
He has enjoyed great success with the Nigerian national team as well as with a number of other clubs, most notably Chelsea.
With a net worth of roughly $26 million, he is ranked sixth among Nigeria’s wealthiest football players.
Moses has ventured into business ventures, leveraging his widespread recognition and accomplishments within the football domain.
His considerable wealth has come from his business ventures as well as his football earnings.
7. Ahmed Musa
Ahmed Musa was born on 14th October 1992.
He is a professional football player from Nigeria who plays for the Nigerian national team and Turkish Süper Lig club Sivasspor as a forward and left winger.
He is the seventh richest football player in Nigeria, with an estimated net worth of $23 million.
After graduating from the GBS Football Academy, Musa went on to score twice against Argentina in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, making history as the first Nigerian player to score more than once in a FIFA World Cup game.
After scoring twice against Iceland during the 2018 FIFA World Cup group stage, Musa became the first Nigerian player to score in two FIFA World Cup competitions. He is the most capped player in Nigeria since November 2021 with 108 appearances.
Musa participated in the Al Nassr team that won the Saudi Super Cup and Saudi Premier League in 2019.
His entrepreneurial pursuits are evident in his multimillion-naira sports and fitness center and filling station in Kano. In addition to his football achievements, Musa’s investments have made him one of Nigeria’s wealthiest players.
8. Emmanuel Emenike
Emmanuel Chinenye Emenike is a former football player from Nigeria who competed as a striker and won the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), he was born on May 10th, 1987.
He played for multiple clubs in various leagues during his illustrious career. Among the teams Emenike worked for during his career were Fenerbahce, Olympiacos, West Ham, Cape Town, Spartak Moscow, and others.
In addition to his football career, he has amassed substantial real estate holdings, including EE29 hotels and suites.
He is currently the eighth richest football player in Nigeria thanks to his business endeavors and football earnings, which have amassed a sizable fortune of roughly $15 million.
9. Victor Osimhen
Victor James Osimhen, a professional football player who was born in Nigeria on December 29, 1998, plays striker for both the Nigeria National team and the Serie A team Napoli.
His parents are from Edo State and belong to the Esan ethnic group in Nigeria but he was born in Oregun/Ojota, Lagos State, and raised in the Olusosun neighborhood.
He is regarded as one of the world’s best players and is well-known for his exceptional athleticism, speed, finishing, and strength.
With a net worth of over $10 million, he occupies the ninth position as the richest footballer in Nigeria.
10. Samuel Chukwueze
Born on May 22, 1999, Samuel Chimerenka Chukwueze is a professional football player from Nigeria who plays right singer for both the Nigerian national team and Serie A club AC Milan.
Chukwueze was born in Abia State’s Amaokwe Ugba Ibeku. He was raised in a Christian home alongside a younger brother and sister and is of Igbo heritage.
He went to Evangel Secondary School and Government College in Umuahia. He started playing football when he was eight years old.
He has a net wealth of about $5 million, placing him in the tenth spot in this list.
