Top 10 Richest Footballers in Nigeria (2022)
Football is one of the most lucrative occupations in the world. Football players are paid huge amounts of money for their efforts. It is wonderful to see that a few Nigerians have the opportunity to earn huge amounts of money from playing football. In this article, I show the top 10 richest footballers in Nigeria. Read down carefully.
Richest Footballers in Nigeria: The Top 10
These are the leading 10 richest footballers in Nigeria:
1. Mikel Obi
With an estimated net worth of $60 million, former Super Eagles captain Mikel John Obi is the richest football player in Nigeria. Mikel is one of the most accomplished players with an 18-year international senior career at various top clubs, and three years spent playing in youth leagues.
When Mikel was 17 years old in 2004, he started his career with the regional team Plateau United before switching to the Norwegian club Lyn. He controversially moved to the English team Chelsea in 2006 after Manchester United allegedly claimed to have already signed him. Also, he has won numerous accolades and titles, including the African Cup of Nations, Champions League, and Premier League.
2. Obafemi Martins
With an estimated net worth of $41 million, Obafemi Martins ranks second among the richest footballers in Nigeria. Martins is renowned for his quickness with football. At the age of 16, he moved from Nigeria to Italy and has since played for several top-tier clubs across Europe.
Martins started his senior career in 2002 at Inter Milan of Serie A. Then, he was transferred to Newcastle United of the Premier League in 2006, and finally to VfL Wolfsburg of the Bundesliga in 2009. After Martins signed with Rubin Kazan of the Russian Premier League in July 2010, they loaned him to Birmingham City in January 2011. Also, Martins spent several years in China with Shanghai Shenhua and Wuhan, and a season with La Liga club Levante.
3. Odion Ighalo
Odion Ighalo makes the list of Nigeria’s wealthiest football players with an estimated net worth of $35 million. He is a striker for the Nigerian national team and the Saudi club Al Hilal.
Ighalo started his career at the clubs Prime and Julius Berger in Nigeria before transferring to Lyn in Norway in 2007. He was signed by the Italian team Udinese a year later and spent his time there on two different loan stints with the Spanish team Granada.
4. Ahmed Musa
Ahmed Musa is one of the richest football players in Nigeria. He is a Turkish Süper Lig player with an estimated net worth of $28 million. Ahmed Musa is a football player with the most goals ever scored in a single season in the history of the Nigeria Premier League.
Musa began his professional career as a player with the Kano Pillars FC in the Nigeria Premier League. He scored several goals that helped the squad finish second, setting the league record. In 2010, Musa was moved to the Dutch team VVV-Venlo before being sold to the Russian team CSKA Moscow for an undisclosed sum.
5. Victor Moses
Spartak Moscow winger Victor Moses ranks fifth among the richest footballers in Nigeria with an estimated net worth of $23 million. He holds the record for Nigerian players who have competed in the Premier League with the most awards.
Moses started his career in the Championship with Crystal Palace, but Wigan Athletic noticed him after seeing him play and gave him his Premier League debut in 2010. His performance had increased after two years to the point where Chelsea, the reigning European champion, became interested. He joined the Chelsea football club in the summer of 2012.
6. Emmanuel Emenike
Emmanuel Emenike ranks sixth among the wealthiest football players in Nigeria with an estimated net worth of $20 million. The now-retired footballer was a striker for many international teams as well as the Nigerian national team. He played an important role in the 2013 African Nations Cup success of Super Eagle.
Emenike started his football career playing with the Delta Force in the Nigeria Premier League, just like many other players on the list. The Mpumalanga Black Aces of the South African National First Division followed, and in 2008, he transferred to F.C. Cape Town of the same division.
7. Victor Osimhen
The Nigerian Napoli Superstar, Victor Osimhen is one of football’s best stars right now with an estimated net worth of $18 million. In June 2017, he made his senior international debut, and since then, he established himself as one of the greatest to represent the country.
Osimhen started his senior career at VfL Wolfsburg in Germany in 2017. In 2015, Osimhen was awarded the FIFA U-17 World Cup Golden Boot award. He was also named the 2021–22 Season’s Best Young Player in Serie A.
8. Alex Iwobi
Alex Iwobi (an Everton Winger) joins the list of the wealthiest football players in Nigeria with a net worth of $15 million. Iwobi began his football career at Arsenal, making 149 appearances and scoring 15 goals. Also, he won the FA Cup in 2017 and scored in the 2019 UEFA Europa League Final.
Iwobi made his senior international debut for Nigeria in October 2015 and was a member of their squads at the FIFA World Cup in 2018 as well as the Africa Cup of Nations in 2019 and 2021. He moved to Everton in August 2019 for a base fee of £28 million, which may increase to £34 million with add-ons.
9. Kelechi Iheanacho
Kelechi Iheanacho is one of the richest footballers in Nigeria and is a player at Leicester City. He was a member of the Nigerian team that won the FIFA U-17 and U-20 World Cups in 2013 and 2015, respectively.
Iheanacho began his secondary career in 2015–16 at Manchester City. In 35 games, he finished the season with 14 goals and 5 assists. He and the squad defeated Liverpool 3-1 in a penalty shootout to win the 2015–16 Football League Cup after the game ended 1–1 after extra time.
10. Wilfred Ndidi
Wilfred Ndidi rounds up the list as the tenth-richest footballer in Nigeria. He is renowned for his long-range attacks and strong defense. Ndidi participates in both his club’s and Nigeria’s national teams as a defensive midfielder.
He started his football career in 2002, competing for local teams in different Nigerian league tiers. Then, Ndidi was transferred for €188,000 from the Nath Boys Academy to Belgian Pro League Genk in 2015. Also, he played for the team for a season and put in the league’s best goal.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are the Richest Footballers in Nigeria in 2022?
These are the top richest Nigerian footballers in 2022:
- John Mikel Obi ($60 Million Net Worth)
- Obafemi Martins ($35 Million Net Worth)
- Vincent Enyeama ($28 Million Net Worth)
- Victor Moses ($23 Million Net Worth)
- Odion Ighalo ($20 Million Net Worth)
- Ahmed Musa ($18 Million Net Worth)
- Emmanuel Emenike ($18 Million Net Worth)
Who is the Richest Footballer in Nigeria?
John Obi-Mikel is the richest footballer in Nigeria. The former Super Eagles captain earned a round one billion naira per year while playing at Chelsea in England.
Who are the Richest African Football Players in 2022?
These are the richest African footballers in Africa:
- Samuel Eto’o
- Didier Drogba
- Mohamed Salah
- Yaya Toure
- Mikel Obi
- Pierre Emrick Aubameyang
- Emmanuel Adebayor
- Kolo Touré
Conclusion
Football is a very profitable profession. In the article above, you will see the top 10 richest footballers in Nigeria. Check out and see how they started to earn money from their football skills.
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