Four Nigerian footballers have been recognized among the world’s top 300 most impactful players for the 2024/25 season by the CIES Football Observatory, with Fulham midfielder Alex Iwobi leading the pack.
Iwobi ranked 37th globally and 12th among wingers, earning an impressive index rating of 87.4 thanks to his consistent Premier League performances.
Iwobi made history as the first Nigerian to feature in all 38 Premier League matches across two different seasons. This consistency helped him register nine goals and six assists, while he stood out as Fulham’s key playmaker with an average of 1.6 key passes per game and an 80% pass accuracy.
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Following closely is Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman, who claimed the 48th spot overall and ranked 10th among attacking midfielders. Lookman scored 15 Serie A goals and delivered a memorable Europa League final hat-trick, boasting an elite finishing score of 85, making him Nigeria’s most prolific forward this season.
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Napoli’s Victor Osimhen also featured on the list, ranked 159th globally and 20th among centre-forwards. Despite uncertainty surrounding his future, Osimhen scored a record-breaking 37 goals in all competitions for Galatasaray.
His finishing ability was top-tier with a score of 86, though his defensive and distribution metrics were lower, reflecting his primary role as a goal poacher.