Former Super Eagles captain, John Obi Mikel has hailed Victor Osimhen’s eighth-place finish in the 2023 Ballon d’Or rankings as a landmark achievement for Nigerian football, saying the Galatasaray striker reached a level that eluded him and other Nigerian greats during their careers.
Speaking on the Obi One Podcast, which he co-hosts with British sports broadcaster Chris McHardy, the former Chelsea midfielder congratulated Osimhen for earning recognition among the world’s elite footballers.
Mikel, who enjoyed a trophy-laden career that included UEFA Champions League and Premier League titles, said Osimhen’s achievement had set a new standard for Nigerian players.
“I am still the most successful, decorated football player in the gym. Yes, yes. But I think, you know, he is obviously, he got an award that I never got.
Number eight in the world. That is absolutely, absolutely amazing. I must say congratulations.
“I mean, the season you had, it was fantastic. And I never got to that stage. And this is a different stage. You have raised the level. You have raised the bar so high,” Mikel said.
He added that neither he nor Nigerian legends Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu had achieved such a high Ballon d’Or ranking.
Reflecting on Osimhen’s place among the world’s leading footballers, alongside the likes of Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe, Mikel asked the striker what it felt like to be recognised at that level.
Osimhen responded by paying tribute to Mikel, describing the former midfielder as a role model who inspired generations of Nigerian footballers.
“Thank you. First of all, I have to tell you something, Chris. You know, the man sitting next to you has been a big inspiration for me and aspiring football players. He has been a household name. I have to give him his flowers.
“He has been an amazing legend for us, an amazing example on and off the pitch. His life, his character.
I am not just saying this because I am live with you guys and he is here. I used to say this to every aspiring footballer,” Osimhen said.
Osimhen’s eighth-place finish in the 2023 Ballon d’Or followed a remarkable campaign in which he fired Napoli to the Serie A title and was later crowned CAF African Player of the Year.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria international was briefly caught up in a tax issue in Turkey after receiving a formal legal notice over unpaid income tax.
According to Turkish newspaper Milliyet, a local bank issued an ihtarname , a formal legal warning after taxes linked to Osimhen’s earnings had not been settled.
However, the striker was reportedly not personally responsible for the payment under the terms of his contract with Galatasaray.
After informing the club of the notice, Galatasaray reportedly settled the outstanding amount immediately, preventing the matter from developing into a wider legal dispute.
The incident highlighted a contractual arrangement under which the Turkish champions are responsible for handling income tax payments for some of their highest-paid players, including Osimhen.
The tax matter emerged amid recent reports of financial difficulties at Galatasaray, including claims of delays in salary payments.
The club has rejected those reports, insisting no player received a bounced cheque and maintaining that the tax issue resulted from an administrative delay rather than any failure to meet its contractual obligations.