Michael Uzoma Michael 
Football is the most popular sport in Nigeria. The Nigeria national football team competes regularly for international titles and many Nigerian footballers compete in Europe, particularly in England. Nigeria has one of the finest national teams in Africa and has produced many notable footballers including Mudashiru Lawal, Rashidi Yekini, Jay Jay Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu, Vincent Enyeama, Joseph Yobo and Mikel John Obi.
Players are being paid increasingly high wages because the clubs are making more money than ever. As a result of globalization and technological advances such as the pay-TV market, football has become more popular and so more profitable.
Here are the top 10 list of the richest Nigerian football players currently plying their trade in different football leagues in the world footballers in Nigeria.
Top 10 richest Nigerian footballers and their net worth in 2021
- John Obi Mikel – net worth of ₦23 billion
- Obafemi Akinwunmi Martins – Net worth of ₦14 billion
- Odion Jude Ighalo – net worth of ₦12 billion
- Vincent Enyeama – net worth of ₦10 billion
- Victor Moses – net worth of ₦7.3 billion
- Ahmed Musa – net worth of ₦6.5 billion
- Emmanuel Emenike – net worth of ₦6.4 billion
- Victor Anichebe – net worth of ₦6 billion
- Kelechi Iheanacho – net worth of ₦1.4 billion
- Alex Iwobi – net worth of ₦1.3 billion
Back in the 90s and even today, Nigerians remain one of the best and most skilled football players globally. Here are the top 10 list of the richest Nigerian football players currently plying their trade in different football leagues in the world footballers in Nigeria.
The list contains only footballers who are still active in their football career with their net worths, including their salaries and assets.
Main list of the richest footballers in Nigeria 2021 Forbes
1. John Obi Mikel – net worth of ₦23 billion
John Mikel Obi is the richest Nigerian footballer. Nigeria’s richest football player is Mikel Obi, who played most of his at Chelsea.
John Mikel Obi net worth is valued at ₦23 billion. He acquired his wealth playing for Chelsea, one of the Premier League’s best clubs.
Mikel Obi is a midfielder who started his football career in the Nigerian local football team Plateau United before joining Lyn Football club in Norway in 2014.
After two years in Norway, Mikel Obi joined English club Chelsea, where he spent eleven years at the London club, where he earned lots of money before moving to Chinese Side Tianjin TEDA in 2017. In the Chinese cub, he received over 3.6 billion nairas on an annual basis.
In his time at Chelsea, Mikel Obi was a crucial part of the club’s squad that won the 2009 Premier League Cup; he made 25 Premier League appearances for Chelsea.
Since leaving China, MikelObi has played three different clubs, including Middlesbrough in the English Championship, Trabzonspor in the Turkish Super League and currently stoke city in the English Championship.
2. Obafemi Akinwunmi Martins – Net worth of ₦14 billion
Despite playing for lower clubs in England, Obafemi Martins is the 2nd richest Nigerian football player. His increased wealth came from his career in China and made him the second richest football player in Nigeria.
Obafemi Martins net worth is valued at ₦14 billion. Obafemi Martins is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Wuhan Zall in the Chinese Super League.
His winning goal for Birmingham City against Arsenal in the 2011 League Cup final is still to regret among Arsenal fans.
Obafemi Martins started his senior football career at Inter Milan, Italy, where he spent five years and scored 28 goals in 88 appearances before moving to England to play for Newcastle.
Martins joined the Chinese club Shanghai Shenhua in 2016. He earned much money to increase his net worth, earning 2.4 billion nairas annually to become the second richest footballer in Nigeria.
At Seattle Sounders FC in the Major League Soccer, Obafemi was the club’s highest ever paid player and was the fifth highest-paid player in the US major league soccer earning $1,600,000; $1,620,000; $2,400,000, consecutively for three years.
Obafemi Martins earned 42 caps for the Nigerian National team and scored 18 goals for the country.
3. Odion Jude Ighalo – net worth of ₦12 billion
Odion Jude Ighalo is the 3rd richest Nigerian footballer with a net worth is valued at ₦12 billion.
It is a thing of surprise for some Nigerians to see Ighalo make it in the list of the richest footballers in Nigeria, having spent most of his career on loan. Thanks to his move to Chinese Super League, Ighalo became the number 3 richest football player in Nigeria.
Odion Ighalo is the third richest Nigerian footballer
Ighalo is a Nigerian striker that plays for the Saudi club Al Shabab. He is on a six-month loan from Chinese Club Shanghai Greenland Shenhua.
Odion Ighalo played for Watford in the English Premier League in 2016 and 2017, where he scored 19 goals for the club. His salary at Watford was 45,000 pounds per week.
Ighalo later moved to the Chinese club Changchun Yataiin 2017 and then moved on to the CSL giants Shanghai Greenland Shenhua in 2019.
Odion Ighalo built an Orphanage home in Ijegun, Ajegunle, worth N500 million in December 2017, where he was raised as a child.
Ighalo earned 150,000 pounds per week at Manchester United and the same amount from his club in China, who completed 300,000 pounds a week salary.
4. Vincent Enyeama – net worth of ₦10 billion
Former Nigerian Captain Vincent Enyema is the 4th richest Nigerian footballer. His net worth is valued at ₦10 billion.
Former Nigerian goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama is the fourth richest Nigerian footballer
Enyeama is a former Nigerian goalkeeper who played for Lille from 2011 to 2018. He is the most capped Nigerian player, having played for the Super Eagles from 2020 to 2015 before announcing his international duty retirement.
While playing for Lille, Vincent Enyeama was on a colossal salary worth around 1.8 million Euros annually, which earned him a spot in the richest footballers in Nigeria.
The goalkeeper owns a Mercedes Benz G-class coupe worth N25 million and a Range Rover Evogue worth N19.4 million.
Enyeama also has a big mansion in Lagos, where he lives with his family.
5. Victor Moses – net worth of ₦7.3 billion
Victor Moses is the 5th richest Nigerian footballer. his net with is valued at ₦7.3 billion, having played for different clubs in the Premier League
Victor Moses is the fifth richest Nigerian footballer
Victor Moses plays as a winger for London club Chelsea. He has represented many English clubs, including Crystal Palace, Wigan Athletic, Chelsea, Liverpool, Stoke City and West Ham.
In the 2019 season, Moses joined Inter Milan on loan from Chelsea under his former manager Antonio Conte.
Victor Moses is currently playing for Russian side Spartak Moscow after signing a permanent deal from Chelsea in 2021.
6. Ahmed Musa – net worth of ₦6.5 billion
Ahmed Musa is the 6th richest Nigerian football player, with Musa’s net worth valued at ₦6.5 billion in 2020.
Ahmed Musa has played almost his career at two of the richest countries in the world. His career in Russia and Saudi Arabia has made him the 6th richest football player in Nigeria.
Ahmed Musa is the sixth richest Nigerian football player
Musa is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays in Saudi Arabia for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Professional League. Musa has represented different clubs in Europe, including VVV-Venlo in the Netherlands, CSKA Moscow in Russia and Leicester City in England.
During his time in England, Ahmed Musa earned a weekly salary of $43,000. Currently, he earns a weekly salary of 60,000 pounds in the Saudi Arabian club Al-Nassr, a whopping amount that helped him make the list of the richest football player in Nigeria.
Ahmed Musa has earned 87 caps in the Nigerian national team and scored 15 goals.
Musa owns different expensive cars, including a Range Rover Sport worth $50,000, which he bought in 2013, A Range Rover Velar worth $60,500 purchased in 2018 and a Mercedes Benz G-Wagon worth $127,650.
The winger also owns a mansion in Nigeria worth N500 million and a barbing saloon in Kanu worth N500 million.
7. Emmanuel Emenike – net worth of ₦6.4 billion
Emmanuel Emenike is the 7th richest Nigerian footballer with a net worth valued at ₦6.4 billion.
Emmanuel Emenike is the 7th richest Nigerian football player
Emenike is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker but is currently unemployed. He last played for Westerlo in Belgium Pro League back in 2019. Emmanuel Emenike played a crucial part in the Super Eagles squad that won the African Cup of Nations in 2013.
Playing for different clubs in Europe, including Karabükspor in the Turkish Super League, Spartak Moscow in Russia, Fenerbahçe in Turkey and Olympiacos in Greece, has made Emmanuel Emenike earn a massive amount of salaries and today, he is rated as the 7th richest footballer in Nigeria.
8. Victor Anichebe – net worth of ₦6 billion
Victor Anichebe is the 8th richest football Nigerian footballer. His net worth is valued at ₦6 billion.
Victor Anichebe is the eight richest footballers in Nigeria
Victor Anichebe is a Nigerian professional footballer that plays as a striker, but he is currently without a football club. Victor Anichebe is presently a free agent after playing for Beijing Enterprises in 2017.
Victor Anichebe has played in three different clubs in England, including Everton, for nine years, West Bromwich Albion for three years and spent just one year in Sunderland.
Victor Anichebe has 11 caps for the Nigerian national team with one goal.
9. Kelechi Iheanacho – net worth of ₦1.4 billion
Kelechi Iheanacho is the 10th richest Nigerian football player. Kelechi Iheanacho’s net worth is valued at ₦1.4 billion. The 24-year-old plays for Leicester City in the English Premier League.
He won the 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup golden boot award 2013 FIFA U-17 World Cup golden boot award in the United Arab Emirates. Nigeria beat Mexico 3-0 in the final to lift the tournament. Iheanacho was instrumental in that tournament.
Kelechi Iheanacho is the nine richest footballers in Nigeria
Kelechi Iheanacho has made 23 appearance for the Nigerian national team, scoring 7 goals.
10. Alex Iwobi – net worth of ₦1.3 billion
Despite his recent slump in form, the former Arsenal midfielder Alex Iwobi is the 10th richest Nigerian footballer.
Alex Iwobi is the 10th richest footballer in Nigeria
Iwobi is a Nigerian professional footballer that plays as a winger for Everton in the English Premier League. He was part of Arsene Wenger’s squad at Arsenal, where he spent four years.
At Arsenal, Alex Iwobi earned a weekly salary of 159,389 pounds after paying his tax and currently reaches a weekly salary of 81,301 Euros in Everton. Iwobi’s annual salary is 2.6 million pounds.
Iwobi currently lives with his parents in England, something so strange for one of Nigeria’s richest footballers.
- Ref: Clacified, Google, Wikipedia
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