A young Nigerian-eligible forward at Barcelona is attracting fresh attention after another impressive goalscoring display at the LaLiga FC Futures tournament in Orlando.
Destiny Kosiso found the net three times as Barcelona defeated Villarreal 4-1, producing a performance that once again highlighted the youngster’s goalscoring ability at youth level.
The 12-year-old has already built a remarkable reputation inside Barcelona’s academy. During his time playing seven-a-side football, Kosiso scored 145 goals in 52 matches across two seasons, according to reports from Spain.
He later moved into 11-a-side football and continued to find the net regularly.
His recent hat-trick adds to an impressive year for the youngster. Earlier in 2026, Kosiso finished as the leading scorer at the LaLiga FC Futures U12 Club World Cup after scoring seven goals for Barcelona.
Kosiso is of Nigerian origin and was born in Spain to Nigerian parents, giving him a potential international connection to both countries. His international future, however, is still some way away given his age.
That makes the conversation around the Nigeria Football Federation less about immediately securing the player for the senior Super Eagles and more about keeping track of his development and maintaining contact with his family.
There is also evidence that Kosiso is already attracting significant attention outside Barcelona. He has a Nike sponsorship deal and has received career advice from Pini Zahavi’s agency, while Spanish reports describe him as one of the promising young talents in Barcelona’s academy.
For Nigeria, the youngster represents another player whose progress could be worth monitoring from an early stage. His development at Barcelona gives him access to an elite football environment, while his Nigerian heritage keeps the door open to a possible future with the country.
At just 12, it would be premature to predict where Kosiso’s senior international career will take him. But with a hat-trick against Villarreal now added to an already eye-catching youth record, his name is becoming increasingly difficult to overlook.
The NFF may therefore have good reason to keep Destiny Kosiso firmly on its radar as his football journey at Barcelona continues.
