Osimhen No. 1: Ranking Nigeria’s six Champions League stars for 2026/27

Nigeria will have six players in the 2026/27 UEFA Champions League league phase after the completion of the qualifying rounds, Afrik-Foot reports.

Victor Osimhen leads the group after a strong start with Galatasaray. Ademola Lookman will take his Champions League experience to Atlético Madrid, while Zaidu Sanusi returns with FC Porto.

Moses Usor and Christian Nwachukwu earned their places after dramatic qualifying victories with LASK and Sabah. Prosper Obah is the other Nigerian to make the final list after Shakhtar Donetsk secured their place in the competition.

The ranking considers current form, club strength, expected playing time and European experience. UEFA’s final list includes 36 clubs, with the league phase beginning in September.

Champions League 26/27: Nigeria’s top men

6. Prosper Obah, Shakhtar Donetsk

Obah is the least experienced player in this group, but his inclusion gives Nigeria another young attacking option. The 22-year-old forward joined Shakhtar after impressing with LNZ Cherkasy.

He has already experienced Ukrainian top-flight football and has been part of Shakhtar’s first-team plans. The problem is playing time. Shakhtar have several attacking options, and Obah has no Champions League experience. His ranking is therefore based more on potential than proven European performance.

5. Christian Nwachukwu, Sabah

Nwachukwu has already provided one of the best stories of the qualifying rounds. The 20-year-old forward scored for Sabah during their Champions League qualifying campaign. Sabah then completed a historic comeback against Hapoel Be’er Sheva on Tuesday to reach the league phase for the first time.

That achievement gives Nwachukwu a chance to face some of Europe’s strongest clubs. Sabah are not among the competition’s traditional powers, so Nwachukwu may have fewer chances to attack from possession. His youth, direct running and recent European exposure still make him an interesting player to watch.

4. Moses Usor, LASK

Usor moves above Nwachukwu because he enters the league phase with a major qualifying performance behind him. LASK lost the first leg of their play-off against Celtic 3-0. On Tuesday night, they produced one of the most dramatic comebacks of the qualifying rounds, winning 5-1 after extra time to qualify 5-4 on aggregate.

Usor scored and provided an assist during that second-leg victory. The Nigerian forward has also gained useful European experience during his time in Austria. His attacking role at LASK should give him a better chance of regular Champions League minutes than some of the younger players on this list.

3. Zaidu Sanusi, FC Porto

Sanusi’s experience gives him a major advantage. The Porto left-back has already played 28 Champions League matches, making him one of the most experienced Nigerians in the competition. He also leads Porto’s current squad for Champions League appearances.

His start to the Portuguese season has also been encouraging. Sanusi has returned to a regular role at Porto and has helped the club begin the campaign strongly. Porto are a much stronger Champions League side than LASK or Sabah. They also have a long history in the competition, including two European Cup victories. If Sanusi keeps his starting place, he should have several chances to test himself against elite European forwards.

2. Ademola Lookman, Atlético Madrid

Lookman is the closest challenger to Osimhen. His move from Atalanta to Atlético Madrid gives him a chance to play for one of Europe’s strongest teams. He also arrives with recent Champions League experience that few Nigerian players can match.

Lookman helped Atlético reach the semi-finals last season. He scored in the second leg of their quarter-final against Barcelona as Atlético overturned the tie 3-2 on aggregate.

He also has experience winning a major European trophy after scoring a hat-trick for Atalanta against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2024 Europa League final. His ability to play across the attack should help him get minutes under Diego Simeone. Atlético also provide a stronger platform for a deep Champions League run than most of the Nigerian players on this list.

1. Victor Osimhen, Galatasaray

Osimhen is the clear No. 1. The Galatasaray striker has started the new season with four goals in his first two league matches. He scored twice against Çorum FK before another brace against Erzurumspor last Friday.

His Champions League record is also the strongest among the six. Osimhen has played 27 matches in the competition and has established himself as Nigeria’s highest-scoring player. He was also Galatasaray’s main attacking threat during last season’s Champions League campaign.

Now he enters another league-phase campaign as the club’s first-choice striker. Galatasaray have built their attack around him, which gives Osimhen both the playing time and responsibility needed to make another strong European run. His current scoring form, experience, role at Galatasaray and record against top European opposition put him comfortably at the top.