By Victor Kanayo
Nigerian forward Victor Osimhen has made a notable impact on the sports marketing landscape by becoming the only African player featured in Sports Pro’s Top 50 Most Marketable Athletes’ list for 2024.
Osimhen secured the 44th spot in the ranking, impressively ahead of Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, who is ranked 45th.
The US-based website assessed athletes using three key metrics: brand strength, total addressable market, and economics.
Osimhen excelled in these areas, scoring 24.18 in brand strength, 26.94 in total addressable market, and 13.03 in economics, resulting in an overall marketability score of 64.15. In comparison, Haaland scored 22.8, 17.73, and 23.49, respectively, totalling 64.02.
At the top of the list is American gymnast Simone Biles, with Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr. ranking second among footballers with an impressive score of 91.52. The top five is rounded up by eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi, who boasts a score of 89.67.
Other notable footballers included in the rankings are PSG’s Neymar, Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham, Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford, and Barcelona’s emerging talent Lamine Yamal.
Interestingly, five-time Ballon d’Or winner and Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo did not make the list.
Osimhen’s achievement is particularly impressive given that his market value has dropped by €35 million in 2024, leading Napoli to reduce his release clause from £113 million to £63 million after an unsuccessful attempt to secure a permanent move in the summer.
Currently, the 25-year-old is enjoying a successful loan spell at Turkish giants Galatasaray, where he has made a remarkable start by breaking the club’s seven-year record with six-goal contributions in his first five league games—a feat last accomplished by Bafetimbi Gomis in 2014.
His stellar performances have generated interest from various clubs, and recent reports from Turkish media outlet Sozcu suggest that Galatasaray are preparing a €50 million bid to secure him permanently in January, although this amount falls short of his €75 million release clause.
Earlier, Osimhen was linked with a move to Chelsea before finalising his transfer to Galatasaray, where he has already scored four goals and provided four assists in seven matches.
