Why Victor Osimhen wears a mask and has done since 2022 | OneFootball

Napoli star Victor Osimhen has established himself as one of the best forwards in the world of football over the last few years. He joined the Italian side from Lille in July 2020 for a club-record £61.2million, rising to £69.9m with add-ons. The Nigeria forward played a key role in helping the Serie A giants secure the league title in 2023.

He scored 26 goals in 32 games in their title winning campaign, with the Italian giants finishing 16 points ahead of second place Lazio. At 25 years old, the deadly striker has been linked with many moves in the summer of 2024, with Premier League side Chelsea keen to tie him down to a long-term deal and bring him to west London.

Osimhen, who has a real eye for goal, has been a real nuisance for opposing defenders in recent times. However, many fans of the sport will notice that he often tends to wear a mask while playing. It doesn't appear to affect him at all as the young star is still able to perform at the highest level, but why does he need to wear protection on his face?

Why Osimhen wears a mask

He may have to wear it for the rest of his career

In 2021, the Nigerian international suffered multiple fractures in a clash of heads with Inter Milan defender Milan Skrinar. Napoli would go on to lose the game 3-2 at the San Siro.

Speaking to Wazobia FM, via Football Italia, he detailed the surgery that forced him out of the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations with his beloved country. Osimhen also revealed that the surgery took three and a half hours, saying:

After sustaining fractures to his cheekbone and eye socket during the defeat to Milan, Napoli revealed that the centre forward underwent surgery and was ruled out for three months. Providing an update after the injury, the club said: ''On Tuesday morning, Victor Osimhen was operated on his cheekbone and eye socket by Gianpaolo Tartaro, who was assisted by Dr Mario Santagata with Dr Raffaele Canonico also present.

''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.''

Osimhen, 25, would go on to tell Wazobia FM that he struggled to sleep and eat with the pain and also revealed how his mental toughness kept him going, saying: "A lot of sleepless nights. I could not sleep, I could not eat with the pain. But at the end of the day, I am a lion — and I know the kind of mentality I have.

"To be able to stand up without using the stretcher and walk out of the pitch on my own — then I knew that it was something I could handle."

What was said about the injury

It could've been a lot worse for the forward

While the surgery took three and a half hours to complete, it turns out things could have been a lot worse for Osimhen. Dr Gianpaolo Tartaro stated how the forward could have lost his sight. Speaking to Corriere dello Sport, via Daily Mail, he said:

''He had a series of fractures, it was as if his head had ended up under a press.

''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.''

Following his return to action in 2022, the forward initially wore a mask that covered his whole face. Many will now spot that he now wears a smaller mask that only covers part of his face. Ahead of the 2022/23 campaign, a few of his team-mates were shocked to see that he still had to wear the mask.

A few months after the injury, Osimhen revealed that many doubted his return and that he wouldn't be able to compete at the top level following the nasty collision with Skrinar. Speaking to BBC Sport Africa in April 2022, he said:

It's no surprise to see that the forward still has to wear the mask after he told Brila FM that sometimes blood leaks out of the spots after heavy collisions even with the mask on, revealing:

“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.”