‘I ran until I was sweating blood’ — Osimhen recalls moment of breakthrough after years of struggle

From the streets of Lagos to the summit of world football, Victor Osimhen has revealed the pain and perseverance behind his rise.

Writing for The Players' Tribune, the Nigerian striker detailed the moment that transformed his life forever.

Osimhen described a childhood spent scavenging at a Lagos landfill, searching for anything that could help him play the game he loved.

“Hey, I found a broken Nike. Left foot! Size 8! … Hey, I found a Puma!!!! Right foot!!!! Size 9!!!!! That was a lucky day. We had a pair of boots to share between us all,” he wrote.

At 15, his dream nearly ended before it began. Facing nearly 900 hopefuls at a trial, he did not even get a chance on the pitch the first day. On the second, a coach finally called him.

With everything on the line, Osimhen pushed himself beyond limits. “Just 15 minutes to change my life… So I ran until I was sweating blood.” He scored twice, but shockingly did not hear his name called afterward.

Two fingers that saved Osimhen’s career

As he walked away believing his dream was over, fate intervened. Someone yelled out, “Hey! Hey! The guy in green!”

The team doctor had alerted the coaches. “That’s the kid,” he said, holding up two fingers to signal the two goals. “Two fingers saved me,” Osimhen admitted. “If the team doctor didn’t do that, I would not be a footballer today.”

The following year at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile, Osimhen exploded onto the global stage, scoring 10 goals in seven games to win the Golden Boot and lead Nigeria to world glory — a breakthrough born from 15 unforgettable minutes.