Football is one of the most financially lucrative occupations on the planet, and players that participate in the sport are rewarded handsomely for their efforts.
Most of these Nigerian footballers, who are among the country’s richest, sign lucrative weekly contracts.
It is generally regarded as excessive, implying that the amount of effort put in by these footballers does not match to their pay. Many of them are paid for the usage of their photos as well as the sale of their items.
Some Nigerian football players have been able to establish themselves as vital components of their respective teams in some of the world’s most prestigious football tournaments.
We are glad to provide you with an updated list of Nigeria’s top 10 richest footballers in 2022.
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10. Vincent Enyeama Net Worth: $8 Million
Enyeama is a great Nigerian international who played for the national team for 13 years, from 2002 to 2015. He is known for his quickness and flexibility in goal, which allows him to stop a wide range of shots.
Though he was popular on a national level, his club career was not as successful until he transferred to Lille from Israel’s Hapoel Tel Aviv.
When he took over for another legendary goalie at Lille, all eyes were on him. He set a club record for the most consecutive clean sheets during his time with Lille, going 11 games without surrendering a goal.
He was also one game away from equaling the Ligue 1 clean sheet record. Both the club and Vincent amicably cancelled the contract, which significantly improved Vincent’s personal worth and propelled him to become one of Nigeria’s richest footballers.
9. Anthony Ujah Net Worth: $11 Million
Despite not playing for any of the top clubs in the world, Ujah always tried his hardest to produce enough money for the teams he was a part of. Anthony began his football career in Nigeria and quickly rose through the ranks to become a target for a number of European clubs.
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Ujah eventually decided to sign a four-year contract with Lillestrom. This arrangement served as the cornerstone for Ujah’s wealth. He was transferred to Mainz the following summer after a hot scoring spree for the team.
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Due to his poor form, which landed Mainz in a relegation struggle at the end of the season, he was forced to transfer on loan to FC Koln.
He returned to Mainz, then to Liaoning in China, before joining Union Berlin in the German Bundesliga a year later. The majority of the contracts he signed with these teams earned him enough money to put him on this list of Nigeria’s richest players.
8. Yakubu Aiyegbeni Net Worth: $15 Million
Next on the list of Nigeria’s wealthiest players is Yakubu Aiyebbeni. Yakubu, sometimes known as ‘Yak,’ is a popular figure in Nigeria for all the wrong reasons.
This is because of his atrocious error against South Korea in a key World Cup qualifying match in 2010. He made a lot of money despite his career’s many ups and downs.
He’s also one of the most prolific goal scorers in Nigerian national team history, with 21 goals in 57 appearances for his beloved country. Yak began his football career at the grassroots level before heading abroad to pursue a successful career and earnings, making him one of Nigeria’s richest footballers.]
7. Victor Anichebe Net Worth: $16 Milion
Victor Anichebe is one of the rare Nigerians who began his career in the youth systems of the country’s biggest clubs.
He began out well with Everton’s first team, putting in a string of excellent performances until he was injured in a league game by Kevin Nolanup.
This horrible tackle cost him the game and could keep him out for up to a year. Because these kinds of injuries are career-ending, he decided to sue Nolan for damages.
They reached an out-of-court settlement, and he returned to his beloved football team. Victor was never the same after recovering from his injury.
He was deemed surplus to requirements and transferred to West Brom after netting just 18 goals in 131 appearances for the club.
Victor earned his keep at West Brom, where he made 55 appearances and scored six goals.
He then transferred to Sunderland, where he only made 18 appearances and scored three goals, before finally settling in Beijing Enterprise in China.
His weekly income in China was higher than any other time in his career. This significantly increased his net worth, placing him among Nigeria’s richest footballers.
6. Emmanuel Emenike Net Worth: $16 Million
Emenike is best known for his pivotal part in the Nigerian national team’s victory at the 2013 African Cup of Nations, which was hosted in South Africa.
According to teammates at the time, his contribution to the national team at that time period was unsurpassed. His national team career was arguably more spectacular than his club career, which saw him travel from Delta Force of Delta State, one of Nigeria’s wealthiest states, to Mpumalanga Black Aces in South Africa.
He left the cub after a year to join Karabukspor in the Turkish first division. During his tenure here, he attracted the attention of European middling clubs.
He was signed by Fenerbache in the summer of 2011, but he was unable to play for the club owing to a match-fixing scandal. After that, he was sold to CSKA Moscow in Russia. Emenike is currently without a club, although his net worth places him among Nigeria’s richest footballers.
5. Ahmed Musa Net Worth: $19 Million
Ahmed Musa is Nigeria’s fifth richest footballer. He holds the record for most goals scored by a Nigerian international player after scoring two goals in a World Cup match in 2014.
In 2014 and 2018, he became the first Nigerian to achieve a hat trick in two World Cup games. In 2013, he was a member of the African Cup of Nations-winning team. Many Nigerian footballers aspire to be as successful as his national team.
His club career has been nothing short of extraordinary, despite his domestic beginnings. He achieved the height of his football career after joining Leicester City after a transfer from CSKA Moscow. He is now a member of the Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr.
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4. Victor Moses Net Worth: $26 Million
The top 10 richest players in Nigeria are followed by Victor Moses.
Moses is a popular figure among Chelsea fans as he played right wingback for the club and helped them win the English Premier League.
Victor Moses’ career in football started slowly, with spells at Crystal Palace, Wigan Athletic, Stoke City, and West Ham United before settling at Chelsea and becoming a fan favourite.
One advantage of his multiple club moves is that his revenues remained stable. He is currently on loan at Inter Milan, having joined the club from Fenerbache in the summer of 2019.
He helped Inter Milan finish second to title winners Juventus at the end of the season. Someone with such a successful national and international career deserves to be among Nigeria’s richest footballers.
3. Obafemi Martins Net Worth: $42 Million
Obagoal is one of Nigeria’s many footballing icons over the last two decades. He is most recognised as a speedster and forward who like driving with the ball close to his feet during his time at Inter Milan.
He won the Italian Serie A, the Italian Cup, and the Italian Super Cup during his stay with the club. He left the club after 5 years with 28 goals for Newcastle in the English Premier League, where he stayed another 3 years.
Following his stint at Newcastle, his career became something of a world tour. Wolfsburg, Rubin Kazan, Birmingham, Levante, Seattle Sounders, and others were among his many clubs.
His net worth is substantial, and he is undoubtedly one of Nigeria’s richest footballers.
2. Odion Ighalo Net Worth: $44 Million
Odion Ighalo is Nigeria’s second-richest footballer. This is a man who progressively built his football career until he ultimately reached the pinnacle after a loan move to Manchester United from China.
When Manchester United came knocking on his door, he couldn’t say no because he had a soft spot for the club long before he became a professional footballer. He is now a proud Manchester United footballer, and playing for one of the wealthiest football clubs in the world has its perks.
Since his debut with Julius Berger in Lagos State, Ighalo’s career has been a success story. He went from one club to another as his duty demanded throughout his career, and he does the majority of it with all his heart since he is a true professional.
Ighalo was just ousted from the top of this list of Nigeria’s wealthiest footballers by another footballer. He is now one of Manchester United’s stars at club level. He is quite fortunate.
1. Mikel Obi Net Worth: $61 Million
Mikel Obi is now Nigeria’s richest footballer. He is one of the most dedicated and longest-serving captains in the Nigerian national team’s history.
He’s also won a lot of silverware with the national team, including a silver medal at the 2013 African Cup of Nations and a silver medal at the 2012 Olympics.
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His club accomplishments are certainly inspiring, as he has a bevvy of trophies and honours to his name.
With Chelsea, he won two English Premier League titles, three FA Cup titles, one UEFA Champions League trophy, one Europa League title, one Turkish cup, and so on.
He is the most successful Nigerian international and is regarded as the richest Nigerian footballer of 2022.
This article is a comprehensive list of Nigeria’s richest footballers, as measured by their net worth. All of the football players listed here are still active members of the clubs for which they play.
