Jump king: Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen breaks Cristiano Ronaldo’s Serie A record

The Nigeria international scored twice at Spezia at the weekend to lead the Neapolitans to their 18th league victory of an incredible title march

Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen has become Serie A’s jump-king after setting a new record during Napoli’s brilliant 3-0 win away to Spezia on Sunday.

Osimhen achieved the incredible feat when netting his first – Napoli second of the day – against the Little Eagles at the Stadio Alberto Picco.

After a goalless first half, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia handed Napoli the advantsge from the penalty spot before Osimhen added the game’s second in the 68th minute with a stunning effort.

A loose ball flung into space inside the danger area with Spezia goalkeeper Bartłomiej Drągowski, for a brief moment, looking like the favourite to pluck it off the air.

But Osimhen somehow managed to lift himself above the goalkeeper to head the ball into an empty net.

And according to Corriere dello Sport (via Tutto Napoli), Osimhen, with that jump, climbed to a height of 2.58 metres – a mark typical of elite NBA stars.

In doing that, Osimhen set a new Italian Serie A record, rubbing off the previous 2.56 metres mark set by Cristiano Ronaldo for Juventus against Sampdoria in 2019.

It is also a new personal career high for Osimhen whose previous mark was at 2.52m set against Torino at the Diego Maradona Stadium last season.

The world record of 2.62m set by Ugandan defender Bevis Mugabi in the Scottish Championship in January 2021, however, remains in tact.

Osimhen has now scored 16 Serie A goals this term, the most he has ever managed in a single season in his career.