•Alex Iwobi
Four Nigerian players have earned places in the global list of top 300 most influential footballers of the 2024/25 season by CIES, after standing out with strong performances for their clubs, reports The PUNCH.
Headlining the quartet is Fulham’s talisman and ever-reliable engine, Alex Iwobi, whose standout performances in the Premier League earned him a top-40 global ranking and the highest index score among Nigerian players.
The ranking, released by Swiss-based CIES Football Observatory, evaluates players in the world’s top 60 leagues based on their statistical impact in six critical areas: aerial play, ground defence, distribution, take-ons, chance creation, and finishing, combined with minutes played and team performance.
With an index score of 87.4, Iwobi sits 37th globally and 12th among wingers, underscoring his influence for Fulham this season.
The 29-year-old quietly scripted a remarkable season at Craven Cottage. In what is now a historic feat, the midfielder became the first Nigerian player to feature in all 38 Premier League games in two different seasons, having first achieved the milestone in the 2022/23 campaign. His adaptability across Fulham’s midfield and wide areas has made him indispensable.
Statistically, Iwobi posted 9 goals and 6 assists, contributing directly to 15 of Fulham’s goals. Beyond scoring, his creative instincts saw him create 12 big chances, average 1.6 key passes per game, and maintain an 80 per cent pass accuracy.
In a team often pressed back by top-six opponents, Iwobi’s composure and transitional play stood out, with 52.2 touches per game and a robust chance creation score of 76 by CIES.
The former Arsenal man also showed technical balance, with four goals via his left foot and five from his right, while his relentless off-ball work supported Fulham’s notable victories over Tottenham and Manchester United.
Coming behind Iwobi is the reigning African Footballer of the Year, Ademola Lookman, whose 86.7 index score sees him ranked 48th globally and 10th among attacking midfielders.
The Atalanta star, who recently returned to Nigeria with his CAF African Footballer of the Year, delivered his most complete season yet for Atalanta, tallying 15 Serie A goals and 5 assists, and after a previous season he had cemented his reputation with a headline-grabbing Europa League final hat-trick that clinched the club’s first ever European trophy.
His flair and explosiveness on the flanks were evident in his 85 score for both chance creation and finishing, making him Nigeria’s most potent offensive player by data.
Beyond numbers, Lookman’s performances have reportedly attracted interest from Premier League heavyweights including Arsenal, Manchester United, and Liverpool, with Atalanta slapping a €50m price tag on their Nigerian jewel.
His statistics suggest a player entering his peak, with 2.0 key passes, 2.6 shots per game, and a notable expected assist value of 7.89, which are all indicative of a complete modern attacker.
Third on the list for Nigerians is Victor Osimhen, who, despite facing an uncertain club future, also finds himself among the top 300 with an index score of 81, ranked 159th overall and 20th among centre-forwards globally.
Although the CIES data covers only domestic league performance, Osimhen’s wider contribution to Galatasaray’s season has been phenomenal.
The 26-year-old, on loan from Napoli, smashed records in Turkey with a career-best 37 goals in all competitions, becoming the highest-scoring foreigner in a single season in Turkish football history.
While his CIES data shows a standout finishing score of 86, the ninth highest in the world, his distribution (24) and ground defence (36) remain areas of lesser contribution which is reflective of his role as a high-octane goal poacher and why Galatasaray is offering him a club record €15m-a-year contract to withhold his service.
Completing Nigeria’s elite quartet is Calvin Bassey, the Fulham centre-back whose remarkable bounce-back season sees him ranked 257th globally and 49th among centre-backs, with a score of 78.2.
At 25, Bassey has matured into a defensive mainstay at Craven Cottage, coming forth from the shadows of an inconsistent spell at Ajax. This season, he featured in 35 league matches, completing over 3,000 minutes, and ranked as the fourth-best centre-back in England according to performance data platform Data MB.
Bassey’s index score of 78.2 echoes notable strength in distribution (74) and aerial duels (58), with additional contributions in tackles and ground duels.
He featured in 35 Premier League games, starting 34, and averaged nearly 89 minutes per match. His 90 per cent pass accuracy, including 86 per cent in the opposition half, and strong duel-winning rates of 62 per cent underscore a composed and confident defensive profile, in addition to 4.8 recoveries per match that contributed to Fulham’s notable defensive scalps that saw them record victories over Chelsea, Liverpool, and Tottenham.
His progress has not gone unnoticed, with reports linking him to Barcelona, as they seek defensive reinforcements.
Notably, the CIES ranking was topped by Mohamed Salah, with Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Pedri González completing the top three. Two other Liverpool footballers top the list for defensive positions: Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Leverkusen’s Florian Wirtz heads the rankings for attacking midfielders, while Kylian Mbappé is ahead of Viktor Gyökeres for centre forwards.
