Cameroonian · Nkon, Cameroon · Born 10 March 1981Africa's greatest footballer of his era — four-time African Player of the Year and Champions League winner with Barcelona and Inter Milan.
The only player ever to win the Champions League with two different treble-winning clubs — Barcelona in 2009 and Inter Milan in 2010 — Samuel Eto'o also broke Cameroon's international scoring record with 56 goals and won the Africa Cup of Nations twice. Loan spells at Leganés and Espanyol preceded Mallorca (2000–2004) and then Barcelona (2004–2009) where he scored 152 goals in 232 appearances and won 2 Champions Leagues (2006, 2009) and 3 La Liga titles. Inter Milan (2009–2011) produced a historic treble under Mourinho including the Champions League. He later played at Anzhi (earning a then world-record salary for a footballer), Chelsea, Everton and several Turkish clubs. He earned 118 Cameroon caps scoring 56 goals — his country's record — and won 2 Africa Cups of Nations (2000, 2002). He was African Footballer of the Year 4 times. His top speed of 35.4 km/h was among the fastest ever recorded in European football. He covered 11.3 km per game. He scored 431 career goals and provided 202 assists in 863 appearances. He is the only player to win the Champions League with two different treble-winning sides (Barcelona 2009, Inter 2010). He became the President of the Cameroonian Football Federation in 2021.
Only player to win back-to-back Champions League trebles with different clubs
How They Played
Clinical finisher with exceptional pace, movement in the box, and big-game temperament
Lasting Impact
Greatest African footballer of all time and most successful in European competition
Career Honours
- Champions League 2006, 2009 (Barcelona), 2010 (Inter Milan)
- La Liga 3x
- Serie A 2010 (Inter)
- Treble 2010 (Inter)
- Africa Cup of Nations 2000, 2002 (Cameroon)
- African Footballer of Year 4x
- Champions League 2006
- Champions League 2009
- Champions League 2010
- La Liga 2005
- La Liga 2006
- Serie A 2010
| Club | Period | Fee | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid | 1997–2000 | — | 3 | 0 |
| Leganés | 1997–1998 | loan | 28 | 3 |
| Espanyol | 1999–1999 | loan | 0 | 0 |
| Mallorca | 2000–2000 | loan | 13 | 6 |
| Mallorca | 2000–2004 | — | 120 | 48 |
| Barcelona | 2004–2009 | — | 144 | 108 |
| Inter Milan | 2009–2011 | — | 67 | 33 |
| Anzhi Makhachkala | 2011–2013 | — | 53 | 25 |
| Chelsea | 2013–2014 | — | 21 | 9 |
| Everton | 2014–2015 | — | 14 | 3 |
| Sampdoria | 2015–2015 | — | 18 | 2 |
| Antalyaspor | 2015–2018 | — | 76 | 44 |
| Konyaspor | 2018–2018 | — | 13 | 6 |
| Qatar SC | 2018–2019 | — | 17 | 6 |
 Cameroon | — | — | 118 | 56 |
Cameroonian Athletes