Nigerian football has never been short of talent, but every season throws up a handful of players who go from unknown to unmissable in the the 2025-26 campaign.
Whether it’s a centre-back scoring goals for fun in the Scottish Premiership or a forward finding his feet in Serie A, the Super Eagles’ pipeline has been busy this season.
In this piece, Footynaija.com bring you the top 7 Nigeria’s breakout stars of the 2025-26 season.
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7. Christantus Uche – Crystal Palace (on loan from Getafe)
Uche only got his first senior Nigeria call-up in May 2025, and by September he was in the Premier League on loan from Getafe. He hasn’t started a league game for Palace yet, but he’s made his presence felt in the UEFA Conference League, scoring twice and adding an assist in four appearances.
The 22-year-old from Owerri went from playing in Spain’s fifth tier as recently as 2022 to a top-flight stage in England.
6. Ryan Alebiosu – Blackburn Rovers
The England-born right-back had never been capped before this season. He forced his way into Eric Chelle’s thoughts with a solid run of form at Blackburn Rovers in the Championship and earned his first Super Eagles call-up ahead of the 2025 AFCON in Morocco.
Alebiosu went to the tournament as the only uncapped defender in the squad, which says something about the impression he’d made in a short time.
5. Ebenezer Akinsanmiro – Pisa (on loan from Inter Milan)
Akinsanmiro is an Inter Milan product now cutting his teeth in Serie A on loan at Pisa, and Chelle has been watching closely.
He earned his first senior call-up for the AFCON in Morocco and made his debut against Egypt, a notable stage for a first cap. The Imo State-born midfielder has started more than 11 Serie A games for Pisa this season, and at 21, he’s only getting started.
4. Gift Orban – Hellas Verona (on loan from Hoffenheim)
Orban has played senior football in Belgium and France, but this is his first proper crack at Serie A and he’s delivered. Seven goals and two assists for Hellas Verona this season, including strikes against Juventus, Napoli, and Bologna.
He’s Verona’s top scorer and assist leader, and he scored a brace in a crucial survival six-pointer against Fiorentina back in December. He holds the record for the fastest hat-trick in UEFA competition history, scored for Gent, and at 23, the Italian league is a new frontier he’s handling well.
3. Tolu Arokodare – Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arokodare didn’t even have a senior Nigeria cap until March 2025. By September, he was a Premier League striker. The Festac-born forward won the 2025 Ebony Shoe as the best African player in the Belgian Pro League after scoring 21 goals for Genk, then made the leap to Wolves for £23.4 million.
He’s managed 3 goals in 28 Premier League appearances so far, not a roaring debut by any measure, but breaking into one of the world’s toughest leagues from scratch at 24 is a huge achievement. His international career is just beginning too, with two goals in ten caps for the Eagles.
2. Akor Adams – Sevilla
Adams had been doing good work in LaLiga without much fanfare before Chelle came calling in October 2025. He made his senior debut against Lesotho in the World Cup qualifiers and scored.
He went on to score twice in just four caps, earning a spot in the AFCON squad and establishing himself as an option in Nigeria’s attack. At club level, he’s been consistent for Sevilla in a tough season and is still developing at 26. His story this season is one of persistence paying off.
1. Emmanuel Fernandez – Rangers
This one was easy. Fernandez joined Rangers from Peterborough in July 2025 and proceeded to have one of the most eye-catching debut seasons a Nigerian defender has had anywhere in Europe. He earned a place in the PFA Scotland Team of the Season, received his first Super Eagles call-up in March 2026, and scored on his full debut against Jordan.
He wore the number 37 shirt in memory of his late brother, and the whole story has had a human quality to it that goes beyond football. Rangers have reportedly slapped a price tag of between £35 million and £40 million on him after interest from Premier League clubs. Not bad for a player who was in non-league football just a few years ago.
