Football · Super Eagles · No. 9
John Obi Mikel
Chelsea’s Champions League winner and the captain who played on for Nigeria.
- 2012Champions League
- 2013AFCON champion
- 91Caps for Nigeria
- 2016Olympic bronze (captain)
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Jos and the Pepsi Academy
Born John Michael Nchekwube Obinna in Jos, Plateau State, on 22 April 1987, he was picked from about 3,000 boys at the Pepsi Football Academy, then played for Plateau United. At the 2003 U-17 World Championship his name was misspelt “Mikel”, and he kept it.
Club career
| Club | Years | Highlights |
|---|---|---|
| Lyn (Norway) | 2004 to 2006 | |
| Chelsea | 2006 to 2017 | Champions League 2012, 2 Premier Leagues, 4 FA Cups, Europa League 2013 |
| Tianjin TEDA | 2017 to 2018 | |
| Middlesbrough, Trabzonspor, Stoke, Kuwait SC | 2019 to 2022 | Retired September 2022 |
For Nigeria
Mikel won the Silver Ball at the 2005 U-20 World Cup, behind only Lionel Messi. He won 91 caps, the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations, and captained Nigeria at the 2018 World Cup, playing against Argentina hours after learning his father had been kidnapped (he was later rescued). As over-age captain he led Nigeria to Olympic bronze in Rio 2016.
After football
Mikel co-hosts The Obi One Podcast and was named a Nigerian Youth Ambassador in 2021.
More Nigerian football
Football in Nigeria
Nigeria’s favourite sport and its national teams.Read more
History of Nigerian football
From the barefoot 1949 tour to Olympic gold.Read more
Super Eagles
Nigeria’s men’s team: 3 AFCON titles, 6 World Cups.Read more
Super Eagles at the World Cup
Every World Cup from USA 1994 to Russia 2018.Read more
Quick answers
John Obi Mikel: quick answers
Why is he called Mikel?
His first name Michael was misspelt as Mikel on the list for the 2003 U-17 World Championship, and he kept it.
Did John Obi Mikel win the Champions League?
Yes, with Chelsea in 2012, playing all 120 minutes of the final against Bayern Munich.