Nigeria striker ranks among football’s elite after scoring 27 international goals since 2021

Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen has been named among the world’s most prolific international goalscorers of the current decade, according to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS).

Osimhen features alongside global football icons Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Kylian Mbappé in the IFFHS ranking of Top Scorers for National Teams in the third decade of the 21st century (2021–2030).

The Super Eagles forward is currently placed 14th on the list, jointly with Serbia’s Aleksandar Mitrović, with both players recording 27 international goals since 2021.

The Galatasaray striker’s inclusion underlines his consistency and growing influence at international level, placing him firmly among the most prolific finishers in world football during the period under review.

A breakdown of Osimhen’s goal tally shows steady output across the decade: he scored five goals in 2021, repeated the feat in 2022 and 2023, added three goals in 2024, and struck nine goals in 2025, his most productive international year so far.

At the summit of the IFFHS rankings, Norway’s Erling Haaland leads with 49 goals since 2021, followed by England captain Harry Kane on 46, and Argentina legend Lionel Messi with 44.

Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo has scored 41 goals, while France’s Kylian Mbappé follows with 39, among other leading internationals.

Beyond the statistics, Osimhen’s impact on Nigeria continues to grow. Since making his Super Eagles debut in 2017, the striker has scored 35 goals in 51 appearances, making him Nigeria’s second-highest goalscorer of all time.