Football is one of Nigeria’s most popular sports, and with millions of football fans across the country, seeing exceptionally gifted footballers should be rather easy. It’s no surprise that numerous international football scouts are always in the country hunting for the next football star to sell to the world’s top divisions.
Nigerian players are among the highest-rated and highest-paid footballers in the world. Many of these footballers enjoy affluent lives while competing in prominent leagues such as the English Premier League, Bundesliga, LaLiga, Serie A, and the Chinese Football League.
In this post, we will provide an updated list of the highest-paid Nigerian players in the globe. Because we have a small number of Nigerian football players competing in the Chinese football league, you’ll also get to witness the highest-paid Nigerian footballers in China and other European nations.
Highest Paid Nigerian Footballers Right Now (Updated)
1. Victor Osimhen
- Weekly Salary – £210,603
- Current Club – SSC Napoli
- Age – 25 Years
Victor Osimhen is a Nigerian footballer who recently signed for Italian Football Side, Napoli from French Side, Lille. He was deal with Napoli repoldly cost around €50M + add ons to Lille making him one of the most expensive Nigerian footballers ever.
In his deal with Napoli which would last till June 2025, Osimhen is expected to earn a weekly wage of around earn €10.9 million yearly which is around £210,603 weekly and many believe he truly deserved this feat after a very impressive performance at Lille in the 2019/20 campaign.
He is the highest paid Nigerian footballers right now and the highest paid Nigerian footballer in Italy.
2) Odion Ighalo
- Weekly Salary – £190,000
- Current Club – Manchester United F.C.
- Age – 30 Years
Nigerian Professional footballer and striker – Odion Ighalo is currently the highest-paid Nigerian footballer in the world and he currently plays for English Premier League Giants, Manchester United F.C.
Ighalo made a shocking move from his Chinese League side, Changchun Yatai FC to Manchester United on loan in early 2020. He has so far scored a total of 5 goals in 15 games for the team and many speculate that he might sign a permanent deal with the club after his loan expires in 2021.
He earns a weekly wage of around £125k weekly from Manchester United making him the highest earning Nigerian footballer right now.
3. Wilfred Ndidi
- Weekly Salary – £75,000
- Current Club – Leicester City F.C
- Age – 23 Years
Wilfred Ndidi is a Nigerian professional footballer and midfielder. He currenlty plays English Premier League side, Leicester City as a midfielder and has been a major driving pillar for the club since his signing on the 3rd of December, 2016 for a transfer fee of £17 million.
Ndidi also earns a good pay of £75,000 weekly, therefore earning him the 3rd position on this list Nigeria’s highest paid footballers.
4. Victor Moses
- Weekly Salary – £75,000
- Current Club – Inter
- Age – 29 Years
Victor Moses isn’t a new name in the Nigerian football scene as he has featured in many local and international matches for the Nigerian National football team. He is a professional Nigerian footballer who currently plays for Italian side, Inter Milan after moving to the club on loan from English side, Chelsea in mid 2020.
Even after his recent retirement for international football for the Nigerian men’s senior football team – the Super Eagles, he still earns a very good pay from his international club side – Inter where he plays as a midfielder. Victor Moses earns an average of £75,000 weekly and he also made the list of Nigerian highest paid footballers.
5. Kelechi Iheanacho
- Weekly Salary – £60,000
- Current Club – Leicester City F.C
- Age – 24 Years
Kelechi Iheanacho is also a Nigerian professional footballer who signed for Permier League side, Leicester City from Manchester City on a five-year contract in August 2017.
He became the highest-paid Nigerian professional footballer in the Premier League after Ighalo’s departure in January 2017. He earns an average of £60,000 weekly from his football club alongside other bonuses.
6. Ahmed Musa
- Weekly Salary – £60,000
- Current Club – Al-Nassr FC
- Age – 27 Years
Ahmed Musa is a very popular Nigerian professional footballer and of of Nigeria’s best forwards of all time. He scored 2 winning goals against Iceland at the FIFA world cup in 2018 and has featured for the Nigerian National team many times in multiple competitons.
Musa is also one of the highest-paid Nigerian footballers after his multimillion-dollar move from Leicester City FC to a Saudi Football side, Al-Nassr FC in 2018. He also earns an average of £60,000 from his new football club.
7) Alex Iwobi
- Weekly Salary – £50,000
- Current Club – Everton F.C
- Age – 24 Years
Alex Iwobi is another top Nigerian football who earns a pretty decent pay in the English Premier League. He moved from Arsenal to Everton earlier this year and he is doing quite well there.
Iwobi is one of Nigeria’s highest-paid footballers with a weekly salary of £50,000 from his club side – Everton alongside other bonuses. He also plays for the Nigeria National senior team as a Foward.
8. Obafemi Martins
Obafemi Martins is another Nigerian superstar who has been in almost all professional leagues in the world.
He retired from international football as a striker in the Nigerian Super Eagles football team and he currently plays for Shanghai Greenland Shenhua FC in the Chinese professional football league.
9. John Obi Mikel
- Current Club – Stoke City
- Age – 31 Years
Mikel Obi is one of Nigeria’s most famous footballers who has featured for the country’s senior men’s national team in more than 90 games both locally and internationally.
He recently signed a one year contract with English Championship Side, Stoke City from Turkish Side for an undisclosed amount. His current salary is also unknown but many speculate that he took a small pay cut with this move.
10) Isaac Sucess
- Weekly Salary – £30,000
- Current Club – Watford F.C
- Age – 23 Years
Isaac Success Ajayi is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays for Premier League side – Watford F.C as a forward. He is one of the highest-paid players in this club and he earns a weekly salary of £30,000.
He was signed by Watford in 2016 on a record fee estimated to be around £12.5 million from Spanish side, Granada.
