Why Victor Osimhen wears a mask and why it might be forever

Martin Macdonald

• 18 Mar 2026 08:15 CDT
• 3 min read

News

One of the players in Europe who holds a truly unique look at the moment is Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen.

With his large frame, big strides and dyed blonde hair, he's already immediately noticeable but his most striking feature on matchdays is the black mask that he's forced to wear across his eyes and nose.

Obviously, the aesthetics of it make him a bit more marketable as a standout player, but rest assured it's all for protection purposes after he suffered a serious facial injury while playing for Napoli in 2021.

In a crunch match between Napoli and Inter, the Nigerian clashed heads with defender Milan Skriniar and fractured both cheekbones as well as one eye socket.

He was forced to the sidelines and underwent surgery, with Napoli confirming in a statement:

"On Tuesday morning, Victor Osimhen was operated on his cheekbone and eye socket. Titanium plates and screws were used in the operation. The player is doing well and will remain under observation for the next few days. Osimhen is expected to return to action in three months."

Doctors would only advise a return to matches if the player started wearing a protective mask, and so his iconic look was born.

Usually, players only need to wear the mask until the injuries are fully healed, but in Osimhen's case it's ongoing due to the nature of his surgery.

Five years later, and he still wears it.

"I have two screws that pass through my jaw into my mouth," he said in 2024. "It is really too dangerous for me, so I have to keep on using it."

Even though he is forced to wear a mask, the injuries sustained could have been much worse, according to the doctor who repaired him.

''He had a series of fractures, it was as if his head had ended up under a press," Dr Gianpaolo Tartaro told Corriere dello Sport.

''The eye came out of its socket. It is not simple at all, in fact it is very delicate due to the crushing of the socket, due to the curving of the malar bone [which is] practically destroyed.

''The various fractures, not only the cheekbone, obviously brought complications and six plates and 18 screws had to be inserted.

''[Surgery] took three hours, we had to cut him in three places on his face.

''We have to now look at a special mask for his case. It is not something banal, there is a nerve there, it is all very difficult. We will see how his situation evolves.

''Victor has to be very careful because if there is a problem he must return to the operating room.''

Does Osimhen need to wear the mask forever?

Osimhen previously confirmed in January of 2024 that he will indeed have to wear the mask for the rest of his career due to the screws that are in his face which can sometimes penetrate his skin.

"Yes, [I have to wear the mask for the rest of my career] because I have screws that actually pass through my jaws and face. Yes, [I still have them till now].

"The last match I played — against Cagliari — when I headed the ball, I had blood on my face, and the goalkeeper also hit my face, and there was blood that was even with the mask on. So it is really dangerous for me to play without using the mask, of course.”

After falling out with the hierarchy at Napoli, the striker moved on loan to Galatasaray and make the deal permanent in the summer of 2025, with the Turkish giants paying €75 million for his services - the highest fee ever for a Turkish side.

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•App Store