It is no secret that professional footballers are quite rich. Some have managed to amass such fortunes that can make even rappers envious. Therefore, today, we are going to be talking about the richest Nigerian footballers and their net worth. Find out more about the wealthiest athletes from your country that have football to thank for their riches.
TOP 10 RICHEST FOOTBALLERS IN NIGERIA
There are a lot of wealthy football players in Nigeria, but we have decided to focus only on top 10 richest Nigerian footballers. We are going to be listing them in reverse order, so you will have to stick around until the end to find out who is the richest of the rich. All the information on net worth was taken from NaijaQuest. Without further ado, let’s get to it!
№10. PETER ODEMWINGIE
Opening our list is Peter Osaze Odemwingie. You might not know this, but he actually comes from a mixed family. On July 15, 1981, Odemwingie was born to Russian Tatar mom and Nigerian dad in Tashkent (former Soviet Union). From 2002 until 2014, he played for the Nigerian National team, where he was praised for his skill and diligence.
During his quite eventful senior career, Peter played for ten different teams, most notable of which were Lokomotiv Moscow, West Brom and Cardiff City. These days, it does not seem like he is playing for any team. Instead, Odemwingie enjoys playing golf, as is evident from his Twitter (@OdemwingieP). As for his net worth, it is said to be $5.5 million. He can probably buy his own golf course with this money!
№9. TAYE TAIWO
Next, we have a Taye Ismaila Taiwo. He was born in Lagos on April 16, 1985, and his professional football career started in 2003. Over the years, Taiwo has played for numerous teams, including Milan and Dynamo Kyiv. Currently, he is playing for a Finnish team Rovaniemen Palloseura.
Taye is considered to be one of the richest Nigerian footballers with his net worth of $6.6 million. However, his fortune does not even come close to that of the richest footballer in Nigeria.
№8. VINCENT ENYEAMA
In eighth place is a well-known goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama. He was born on August 29, 1982 in Akwa Ibom and started playing football in 1999. Up until 2015, Enyeama had played for various international teams, including Lille and several teams from Tel Aviv. Then, he decided to retire, but not for long, as in 2017, the player has returned to professional football.
These days, Vincent is playing for Lille, even though he has not been playing much lately due to his conflict with the club owners. Nevertheless, it does not stop him from being quite rich. Enyeama’s net worth is said to be $7 million.
№7. VICTOR ANICHEBE
Seventh place among the richest Nigerian footballers is taken by Victor Chinedu Anichebe. He was born in Lagos on April 23, 1988, and his career in professional football began in 2003. Up until recently, Anichebe has been playing for Beijing Enterprises, but as of right now, he is currently without a club.
You might have also heard this player’s name because of his rather public relationship with DJ Cuppy, whose real name is Ifeoluwa Otedola (daughter of billionaire Femi Odetola). Their breakup was just as loud as the relationship itself. However, it has not affected Victor’s financial standing, as he is reported to be worth $11 million.
№6. YAKUBU AIYEGBENI
Coming in at number six is a retired professional footballer Yakubu Aiyegbeni. He was born in Benin City on November 22, 1982. Aiyegbeni started his career in 1997 with Julius Berger and finished it in 2017 with Coventry City. After that, the player retired from professional football on his 35th birthday.
During his 20-year career, Yakubu has amassed quite a fortune. It is said that his net worth is $14.5 million, which makes him one of the richest football players in Nigeria. It would be interesting to know how he is spending all of his money now that he is not playing anymore.
=№5. EMMANUEL EMENIKE
We are halfway through our list of richest footballers, and right in the middle of it are two players, one of whom is Emmanuel Chinenye Emenike. He was born in Otuocha on May 10, 1987, and his career began in 2007 with the youth team Delta Force. These days, Emenike is playing on loan for Las Palmas, but a nasty knee injury has been keeping him from appearing on the field for quite some time now.
One of the reasons he accepted the loan was because he felt unsafe in his home in Greece, where he played for Olympiakos. Previously, the player had also suffered from racism from football fans while playing for Spartak. However, all those hurdles did not stop him from having a net worth of $18 million.
=№5. AHMED MUSA
We have another footballer sharing the fifth place with Emenike, and it is Ahmed Musa. Much younger than the rest of the players before this, he was born on October 12, 1992 in Jos. Since 2008, he has been involved in professional football and made quite a name for himself during this decade.
In the past few years, Musa has been enjoying his golden years in professional football, as his market value alone has been floating above the €15 million mark. He has had quite a fruitful career with CSKA Moscow, for whom he played from 2012 to 2016 and a season in 2018 on loan from Leicester City. That is why it is not surprising that his net worth is $18 million, same as Emenike’s.
№3. VICTOR MOSES
We are inching closer to the announcement of the richest footballer, but now let’s talk about the third richest player Victor Moses. He was born in Lagos on December 12, 1990, which puts him among the youngest players on this list. Moses started playing professionally in 2001 (at 11 years old!) for Crystal Palace. Currently, he is playing for Chelsea and enjoying the peak of his career.
What you might not know is that when Victor was 11, his parents were killed. That said, a situation as tragic as that has not stopped him from becoming one of the wealthiest and most successful players in Nigeria. His market value is at its all-time high at €18 million, and his net worth is reported to be $20.1 million. What a way to recover from childhood trauma!
№2. OBAFEMI MARTINS
Coming in second place, we have Obafemi Akinwunmi Martins. He was born in Lagos on October 28, 1984. The player has been involved in professional football since 1999, and in this time, he has played for a dozen different teams, the most recent being Shanghai Shenhua. Unfortunately, the footballer is currently suffering from muscle fibre, which has prevented him from playing for the next few months.
Even though his golden days are gone, Obafemi is still one of the wealthiest Nigerian footballers. It is said that he is worth $35 million. Thanks to his enormous wealth, the man truly lives up to his name, which literally translates as ‘the king loves me’.
WHO IS THE RICHEST FOOTBALLER IN NIGERIA?
The time has finally come to reveal the richest football player in Nigeria, and it is none other than John Mikel Obi. He was born as John Michael Nchekwube Obinna on April 22, 1987 in Jos. He has been a professional footballer since 2002, and he spent most of his time playing for Chelsea. These days, he plays for Tianjin Teda.
As for Obi’s net worth, you might come across drastically different numbers depending on the source. But according to the source we have been citing throughout this article (NaijaQuest), it is currently at $57 million. He is reported to own real estate in several countries, as well as flashy cars, so it is obvious that he is quite rich.
That is all we can tell you about the richest footballers in Nigeria. Have you found out something new today? Do you wish you would rather play football than work at your current job?
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