Victor Osimhen, a forward for the Super Eagles of Nigeria, has had a significant influence on the sports marketing scene being the sole African athlete listed among Sports Pro’s Top 50 Most Marketable Athletes for 2024.
Erling Haaland of Manchester City, who is ranked 45th, is far behind Victor Osimhen, who achieved an excellent 44th place in the list.
Three primary metrics were used by the US-based website to evaluate athletes: economics, total addressable market, and brand strength.
Osimhen performed exceptionally well in these domains, earning a brand strength score of 24.18, a total addressable market score of 26.94, and an economics score of 13.03, which added up to a marketability score of 64.15. Haaland, in contrast, received scores of 22.8, 17.73, and 23.49, for a total of 64.02.
Read Also: PANDEF assembly calls for infrastructure renewal, equity in oil, gas sector
American gymnast Simone Biles tops the list, while Vinicius Jr. of Real Madrid comes in second among football players with a remarkable score of 91.52. With a score of 89.67, eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi rounds out the top five.
The rankings also feature renowned football players like Marcus Rashford of Manchester United, Jude Bellingham of Real Madrid, Neymar of PSG, and Lamine Yamal, a young player from Barcelona.
It’s interesting that Portuguese sensation and five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo was left off the list.
Given that Osimhen’s market worth fell by €35 million in 2024 and that Napoli had to lower his release clause from £113 million to £63 million following an aborted summer transfer attempt, his accomplishment is all the more remarkable.
With six goals in his first five league appearances, the 25-year-old broke the club’s seven-year record, a feat last achieved by Bafetimbi Gomis in 2014. He is currently enjoying a fruitful loan spell with Turkish powerhouse Galatasaray.
Numerous teams have expressed interest in him as a result of his outstanding performances, and according to recent rumors from the Turkish media outlet Sozcu, Galatasaray is getting ready to make a bid of €50 million in January to sign him permanently, but this sum is less than his €75 million release clause.
Before completing his move to Galatasaray, where he has already scored four goals and contributed four assists in seven games, Osimhen was previously linked to a move to Chelsea.
