Osimhen Joins Ronaldo, Messi, Mbappe Among Top International Scorers Of This Decade

Super Eagles of Nigeria striker Victor Osimhen has been listed among the most prolific international goalscorers of the current decade by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFFHS).

The Super Eagles forward earned a place on the podium in the IFFHS ranking of Top Scorers of National Teams for the third decade of the 21st century, covering 2021 to 2030. It is a roll call that includes icons such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.

Osimhen is currently joint 14th on the list with Serbia’s Aleksandar Mitrovic, with both men scoring 27 international goals since 2021.

A closer look at his numbers shows a pattern of consistency. He struck five times in 2021, matched that tally in 2022 and again in 2023, before adding three in 2024. Then came a surge in 2025, when he delivered nine goals for the national side, his most productive calendar year yet.

At the top of the IFFHS standings sits Norway’s goal machine Erling Haaland with 49 goals since 2021. England captain Harry Kane follows on 46, while Messi has amassed 44 in the same period. Ronaldo has struck 41 for Portugal, with Mbappe on 39 for France.

Elsewhere on the list are the Netherlands’ Memphis Depay and Iran’s Mehdi Taremi on 34 goals apiece. Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku and Senegal’s Sadio Mane have 32 each, while South Korea’s Son Heung-min has 28.

For Osimhen, the recognition is another marker of how far he has come since making his Nigeria debut in 2017. The 27 year old has scored 35 goals in 51 appearances for the Super Eagles, a return that makes him the country’s second highest goalscorer in history.

He has already moved past the likes of Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Segun Odegbami, Obafemi Martins and Ikechukwu Uche on the all-time list. Only the late Rashidi Yekini stands ahead of him, and by just two goals.

His impact has not been limited to the international stage. In 2025, Osimhen scored 46 goals across all competitions for club and country, finishing as the joint fifth highest scorer worldwide. It made him Africa’s leading marksman for the year and marked the highest single year tally by an African player since 2019.