Osimhen vs Ronaldo: 2 Serie A battles & an unforgettable dressing-room meeting

Victor Osimhen, like many young Nigerian footballers, holds a special affection and admiration for legendary Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo.

Interestingly, former Manchester United and Real Madrid forward Ronaldo on Thursday, November 6, announced his international retirement via a video shared on his social platforms.

Ronaldo’s international retirement is sure to brought back memories of his two meetings with Osimhen during the pair’s time in Italian football.

The 41-year-old announced his decision on Thursday, November 5, ending a 23-year career with Portugal. He leaves the national team as football’s highest-scoring international player, with 146 goals in 234 appearances.

Ronaldo and Osimhen never faced each other at international level, but they met twice during the 2020/21 Serie A season when the Nigerian played for Napoli and the Portuguese represented Juventus.

Their two encounters ended with a win apiece, although one produced a story Osimhen would remember long after their playing careers took different paths.

Osimhen and Ronaldo’s two Serie A meetings

Their first meeting was on February 13, 2021, when Napoli hosted Juventus at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona.

The Super Eagles forward led Napoli’s attack, while Ronaldo started for Andrea Pirlo’s side. The Nigerian struggled to get involved for much of the game and was substituted in the 75th minute.

Lorenzo Insigne’s first-half penalty proved enough to give Napoli a 1-0 victory. Ronaldo played the full 90 minutes but could not find a way past the home defence.

The two players met again on April 7, 2021, when Juventus hosted Napoli in a return league fixture.

Ronaldo put the hosts ahead in the 13th minute, while Osimhen began the match on the bench. He replaced Dries Mertens in the 54th minute and later won a penalty, which Insigne converted.

Juventus, however, held on for a 2-1 win to level the score in their two meetings with Napoli.

Ronaldo’s dressing-room gesture left Osimhen amazed

Their first meeting also gave Osimhen, snubbed for the 2026 Africa Footballer of the Year award, an experience he would later recount in an interview.

A huge admirer of Ronaldo, the Nigerian approached the Portuguese after Napoli’s victory and asked for his shirt and a photograph.

Ronaldo agreed, telling him to come to the Juventus dressing room. When Osimhen arrived, former Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon told him that Ronaldo was still in the gym.

The Portuguese had played the entire match but was not finished with his workout. He spent another hour exercising before returning to meet the Nigerian.

Ronaldo took photographs with Osimhen, gave him his shirt and offered him some advice.

“Great game, just keep on going,” he reportedly told the Super Eagles striker.

Chelsea-linked Osimhen was particularly impressed that Ronaldo had spent another hour in the gym after completing 90 minutes of football. The encounter gave him a closer look at the dedication behind the Portuguese’s success.

Osimhen has since enjoyed considerable success of his own. He helped Napoli win the 2022/23 Serie A title, finishing as the league’s top scorer with 26 goals to become the first African to claim the award. He left Italy in 2024 to join Galatasaray.

Ronaldo also continued playing after leaving European football, moving to Saudi Arabia to represent Al-Nassr.