Victor Osimhen continued his sensational form in Europe with a hat-trick performance that destroyed Ajax and powered Galatasaray to a 3-0 victory in Amsterdam.
The Nigerian striker opened the scoring in the 59th minute and followed up with two clinical penalties to seal his first-ever UEFA Champions League hat-trick.
With the treble, Osimhen became Nigeria’s all-time top scorer in European competitions, surpassing Obafemi Martins’ long-standing record, BBC reports.
Osimhen’s total of 25 European goals underlines the 26-year-old forward’s remarkable consistency and growing influence on the continental stage.
Ajax goalkeeper Remko Pasveer kept the Dutch side in the contest during the first half, denying Osimhen twice with brilliant saves.
However, the Galatasaray forward proved unstoppable after the restart, first heading home Leroy Sané’s cross before converting two spot-kicks, both resulting from Ajax’s defensive errors and confirmed by VAR.
The victory marked Galatasaray’s third consecutive win in the competition and left Ajax bottom of the group, having suffered four straight defeats.
Breaking club and national records
Osimhen’s feat against Ajax did not just propel Galatasaray to another win, it rewrote several record books.
The Nigerian forward became the first player in Galatasaray’s history to score two or more goals in back-to-back Champions League games.
His hat-trick also made him the first Nigerian to score three goals in a Champions League match since Yakubu Ayegbeni’s historic treble for Maccabi Haifa in 2002.
The 26-year-old forward now leads the Champions League scoring chart this season with six goals, edging out global stars like Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, and Kylian Mbappe. Osimhen’s consistency has made him one of the most feared strikers in Europe, with defences struggling to contain his power and composure in front of goal.
Chasing Cristiano Ronaldo’s European record
Beyond the immediate awards and recognition, Osimhen has his sights set on a record that once seemed untouchable.
The Galatasaray hitman has now scored in eight consecutive European matches, moving within striking distance of Cristiano Ronaldo’s all-time record of 11 straight games between 2017 and 2018, as seen on UEFA's official website.
Victor Osimhen is just 3️⃣ games away from matching Cristiano Ronaldo's streak of goals scored in consecutive European appearances 😲💥 pic.twitter.com/I83FW10XwJ
— LiveScore (@livescore) November 5, 2025
With upcoming matches against Union Saint-Gilloise, Monaco, Atletico Madrid, and Manchester City, Osimhen has four more opportunities to equal or even surpass Ronaldo’s scoring streak.
If he maintains his current form, the Nigerian forward could soon match or break one of the greatest records in Champions League history.
