Wilfred Ndidi profile: age, Besiktas club, defensive midfield position, career stats, Super Eagles caps and goals, market value and trophies.
Wilfred Ndidi is a 29-year-old Nigerian defensive midfielder who plays for Beşiktaş in Turkey and captains the Super Eagles. Born in Lagos on 16 December 1996, he spent more than eight years at Leicester City before moving to Istanbul in August 2025.
This Wilfred Ndidi profile covers his age, club, position, career stats, Super Eagles record and market value. We update it after every international window and major club news.
| Full name | Onyinye Wilfred Ndidi |
|---|---|
| Date of birth | 16 December 1996 (age 29) |
| Place of birth | Lagos, Nigeria |
| Height | 1.83 m |
| Position | Defensive midfielder |
| Club | Beşiktaş (Turkey), shirt number 4 |
| Nigeria record | 79 caps and 1 goal as of 27 December 2025; Super Eagles captain |
| Major honours | FA Cup 2020/21, Community Shield 2021/22 and Championship 2023/24 (Leicester City); AFCON bronze 2019 and 2025 |
Wilfred Ndidi is one of Nigeria’s best-known ball-winning midfielders and the current Super Eagles captain. He came through at Genk in Belgium, moved to Leicester City in January 2017 and became a key part of their midfield for the next eight seasons.
He was named Nigeria captain in December 2025 ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations and led the team to third place in Morocco, according to Wikipedia. See where he fits in the current group on our Super Eagles squad page.
Wilfred Ndidi plays for Beşiktaş in the Süper Lig, wearing number 4. He joined from Leicester City on 8 August 2025 on a permanent three-year deal with an option for a fourth year, and was made vice-captain in October 2025.
His 2026/27 season has started slowly: FotMob shows six Süper Lig appearances, one start and 162 minutes so far, with no goals or assists. Transfer talk has followed him all year, and we explain why he is staying put in our report on Ndidi’s Beşiktaş and Premier League transfer saga.
Ndidi is a defensive midfielder, and he can also cover at centre-back. He is known for tackling, interceptions and covering ground in front of the back line.
For Nigeria he anchors the midfield next to Alex Iwobi and Frank Onyeka. He started the 2-1 win over Madagascar in Uyo on 25 September 2026 and the 3-0 defeat in Guinea-Bissau. Our Madagascar match report and Guinea-Bissau report have the details.
Ndidi has made 427 appearances and scored 27 goals in all competitions for Genk, Leicester City and Beşiktaş, according to FotMob. The figures change with every game, so treat them as a snapshot from October 2026.
| Club | Years | Appearances / goals (all competitions) |
|---|---|---|
| Genk | 2015-2017 | 83 / 7 |
| Leicester City | 2017-2025 | 303 / 18 |
| Beşiktaş | 2025-present | 41 / 2 |
Ndidi has scored one goal for Nigeria, in 79 caps as of 27 December 2025, according to Wikipedia. That goal came in the 3-2 win over Tunisia at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
He was called up in October 2015 and made his debut in a friendly against DR Congo. At the Africa Cup of Nations he finished third in 2019 and again in 2025, when he was captain. He missed the 2023 tournament in Ivory Coast through injury. Since then he has played in both September 2026 AFCON 2027 qualifiers, and the full schedule is on our Super Eagles fixtures page.
Wilfred Ndidi’s estimated market value is about €6.4 million in October 2026, according to FotMob. That is far below his peak of €46.5 million in November 2021.
Beşiktaş signed him for a reported €8 million. Valuations differ between data providers, so treat any single figure as an estimate.
Ndidi won the FA Cup, the Community Shield and the Championship with Leicester City, plus two AFCON bronze medals with Nigeria.
Ndidi captained Nigeria in September’s AFCON 2027 qualifiers, and our report on the 3-3 friendly draw with Russia noted he was reported injured afterwards. Here are our recent articles about him:
Get the latest results on our fixtures and results page.
Wilfred Ndidi is 29. He was born on 16 December 1996 in Lagos and turns 30 on 16 December 2026.
Beşiktaş in the Turkish Süper Lig, where he wears number 4. He joined from Leicester City in August 2025.
One goal in 79 caps as of 27 December 2025, according to Wikipedia. He is the Super Eagles captain.
FotMob lists his value at about €6.4 million in October 2026, down from a peak of €46.5 million in November 2021.
Not as things stand. Our August 2026 report said he was expected to stay in Istanbul for 2026/27 after months of Premier League and Saudi links.
No. He was injured in early January 2024 and replaced in the squad by Alhassan Yusuf.
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