Odion Jude Ighalo, a striker for both the Nigerian national team and Saudi club Al Hilal, was born in Nigeria on June 16, 1989. Ighalo began his professional career with the Nigerian teams Prime and Julius Berger before transferring to the Norwegian club Lyn in 2007. He was recruited by Italian club Udinese a year later and spent the most of his time there on two different loan stints with the Spanish team Granada.
He joined Watford in 2014 and played a key role in the club’s promotion to the Premier League in the 2014–15 campaign. Ighalo signed with Changchun Yatai of the Chinese Super League in January 2017 for a reputed £20 million before going on to Shanghai Shenhua.
Odion Ighalo Bio/Wiki
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Personal Life
Ighalo is a devoted Christian who frequently donates a portion of his earnings to Nigerian charity organizations to aid underprivileged children, schools, and widows. He has been a lifetime fan of Manchester United.
Ighalo is the father of three kids—two sons and a daughter. He was introduced as an Ambassador of the National Principal’s Cup on June 22, 2021, in Abuja by Sunday Dare, a representative of the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development.
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Odion Ighalo Net Worth
The range of Odion Ighalo’s net worth or income is thought to be between €40,000,000. However, his major occupation as a soccer player has brought him a significant amount of wealth.
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Odion Ighalo FIFA 22 Stats
In FIFA 22, Odion Ighalo has an overall rating of 78 and his potential is also 78.
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Club Career
Early Career
- Ighalo was born in Lagos and reared in Edo.
- He played for Prime and Julius Berger in his native Nigeria, where he was found by FIFA agent Marcelo Houseman, who then suggested him to Atta Aneke.
- Lyn from Norway then brought Ighalo to trial.
- On September 16, 2007, at the age of just 18, he made his Tippeligaen debut by scoring in a 2-0 home victory over Viking.
- In his second season, he scored six goals in 13 games to help his team finish seventh.
- This sparked attention from other teams in the nation, and Brann reported Lyn to the Norwegian Football Federation for injustice in the contract negotiations.
Udinese and Granada
- Ighalo signed a five-year deal and relocated to Udinese in Italy on July 30, 2008, joining fellow colleague Jo Inge Berget.
- In his first season, he made only a few appearances in Serie A. He scored against Cagliari in a 6-2 home victory.
- His five league outings included four late substitutions.
- In accordance with the cooperation pact between Udinese and the Spaniards, Ighalo was loaned to Granada in the summer of 2009.
- He scored five goals in his second season, which concluded in promotion, and 17 goals in his first season (including playoffs), both of which were interspersed with a brief loan with Cesena in Italy.
Watford
- Ighalo transferred from Udinese to Watford on a season-long loan on July 29, 2014.
- On August 12 at Stevenage, he made his English club debut.
- On September 30, he scored his first Championship goal against Brentford by tucking the ball home after David Button had saved his earlier penalty in a 2-1 home victory.
- Ighalo was released from his contract by Udinese on October 24, 2014, and Watford immediately canceled his loan agreement and re-signed him to a permanent contract.
Changchun Yatai
- Ighalo joined Changchun Yatai of the Chinese Super League on January 31, 2017, reportedly for £20 million.
- In his second season at age 21, he finished second in the scoring statistics, but his club was relegated.
Shanghai Shenhua
- On February 14, 2019, Ighalo was moved to Shanghai Shenhua.
- He claimed to have declined a move to Barcelona the month before in March.
- He received a contract renewal with Shenhua in March 2020, paying more than £400,000 per week.
Al Shabab
- Ighalo signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Saudi Professional League team Al Shabab on February 4, 2021.
International Career
- Ighalo was chosen for the first time by newly hired Nigeria interim coach Daniel Amokachi on March 24, 2015, following a string of impressive displays for Watford.
- At the time, Ighalo said, “I feel pleased because it is my goal to play for my nation.”
- Two days later, he started in a 0-1 friendly loss to Uganda at home, earning his maiden cap.
- Ighalo was originally included as one of the three overage players on Nigeria’s team for the 2016 Olympic competition, but he ultimately decided against traveling to Brazil.
- He was included in the 23-man roster in June 2018 for the next FIFA World Cup in Russia.
Awards
Watford
- Football League Championship runner-up: 2014–15
Shanghai Shenhua
- Chinese FA Cup: 2019
Al-Hilal
- Saudi Professional League: 2021–22
Nigeria
- Africa Cup of Nations third place: 2019
FAQs
He is currently 34 years old (as of 2023).
He is 181 cm tall.
He plays as a forward.
After his transfer to Al-Hilal Saudi FC, his net worth is €40,000,000 (as of 2023).
