Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen made history on Wednesday night, November 5, 2025, as he fired Galatasaray to a 3-0 victory over Ajax in Amsterdam.
Victor Osimhen’s performance in the game made him the first Nigerian footballer to score 25 goals in European competitions and only the second to record a hat-trick in the UEFA Champions League.
The 26-year-old Super Eagles star turned the Johan Cruijff Arena into his stage, netting twice from the penalty spot and once from open play in a dominant display that proved his world-class form.
His three goals not only powered Galatasaray closer to the Champions League knockout stages but also matched a record set by Yakubu Ayegbeni (first Nigerian player to score a hat-trick in the UEFA Champions League) for Maccabi Haifa in 2002.
After a tight first half, Victor Osimhen broke the deadlock in the 59th minute, rising above the Ajax defence to head in a precise cross past goalkeeper Remko Pasveer.
He doubled his tally seven minutes later from the penalty spot after a VAR review confirmed a handball in the box, calmly sending Pasveer the wrong way. His final goal arrived in the 78th minute with another confident penalty, sealing a famous win for the Turkish champions.
Osimhen’s hat-trick was the club’s first in the competition since Burak Yilmaz struck three against Cluj in 2012. His latest feat also sees him overtake Obafemi Martins as Nigeria’s all-time top scorer in UEFA tournaments.
The former Napoli star now has 25 goals across European competitions, including 15 in the Champions League alone, the most ever by a Nigerian player.
Osimhen has now bagged three consecutive UEFA Champions League Man of the Match awards so far this season. He is only three games away from matching Cristiano Ronaldo’s record for goals in consecutive European appearances.
The Nigerian international currently has 12 goals in eight European outings. He is seen as the heartbeat of Galatasaray’s revival as they chase their first Champions League knockout stage appearance in over a decade.
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