Victor Osimhen interview: Champions League ambitions, Galatasaray love and Didier Drogba inspiration

Victor Osimhen is clear about his ambitions as he returns to the UEFA Champions League with Galatasaray: "Now it's time to make a statement in the most prestigious games."

After making his competition debut with Lille in 2019 and enjoying two further campaigns as he enhanced his reputation at Napoli, the Nigerian forward is now pouring in the goals for Galatasaray, whom he joined on a permanent basis in the summer after a successful season-long loan in 2024/25.

The Turkish champions are back at Europe's top table after a season's absence and flying high ahead of a Matchday 4 trip to Ajax, a pair of home victories helping them bounce back from Matchday 1 disappointment, and Osimhen is front and centre with three goals in those previous two outings.

UEFA finds out what makes the forward tick.

Victor Osimhen on growing up in Olusosun, Lagos, and learning resilience

I came from a very poor background. I'm the last born of seven. I lost my mum at a very young age, and my father passed on in 2020. Before I rose to fame, before I became someone important in life, my childhood was really tough because, as a young lad, I had to try to live for myself, to try to help my siblings also in raising money at that time and to make sure that we all came together to help our father after his wife passed away.

Olusosun shaped me to become the kind of person I am today and, as much as I wouldn’t say it gave me so much, it actually taught me life lessons that have helped me through life’s journey. So, for me, it’s really an amazing place; that’s the reason why any time I’m in Nigeria, I always go there to show gratitude, to show to the young kids that if I could make it out of this place, I believe that you can.

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Victor Osimhen on his Galatasaray reception

I arrived in Istanbul and I have never seen anything like this in my life before. It was unbelievable that there were so many of them at the airport. Many of them were tracking flights, and everything.

I think it was two or three o’clock in the morning. Many of them are fathers, many of them are husbands, many of them are wives. They were supposed to be sleeping with their family, just relaxing at home, but they are outside for one person.

After that, you will just have that fire in you to make sure that for every sweat you give, every run you make, you make it for the badge. I absolutely love this club and I’m ready to go through everything with them: the good, the bad and the ugly – but I hope more good than bad!

Victor Osimhen on Champions League ambitions

I spoke with the president when I arrived here and we want to really make a statement in the Champions League. We want to show that, in Türkiye, we are the team that the whole world will know this year because we actually did something amazing in Europe.

We’ve dominated the league for years. We will keep on dominating it, but now it’s time to make a statement in the most prestigious games, Champions League games, because it’s beautiful when you play in the Champions League. So, for us, we want to make a statement.

Middle East Images via AFP/AFP v

Victor Osimhen's childhood heroes: his brother and Didier Drogba

For me, it’s my brother in life and then, in football, it’s Didier Drogba.

I saw the way my brother used to work because he sells sports newspapers. And if you sell sports newspapers in Nigeria, you can stay on the roadside, or you have your newspaper in your hand and you walk through the cars and hold up. He was the person that actually inspired me to hustle so hard.

In the footballing aspect, it was Drogba because I saw him and I tried to model my game to his, and I tried to see how he plays, and how he’s living life outside of football. So, I have to be grateful for that man because for all I am now, I think I attribute some of my successes to him.

He was the one that I actually picked to see the way he plays, to try to add some of his qualities, some of the things that he does that make him one of the most sought-after strikers in world football during his playing time. So, for me, it’s my brother in life, also, and then, in football, it’s Didier Drogba.

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