Some famous Nigerians and world sports figures who enthusiastically crossed over into 2025 died within the year.
In 2025, the sports world lost many beloved figures and personalities across different sports, impacting football, boxing, wrestling and more.
NEWSUNPLUG takes a look at ten prominent Nigerian sports people and other world figures’ deaths that shook Nigeria and the world in 2025.
Abubakar Lawal
The Nigerian forward, who played for Uganda’s Vipers Sports Club, tragically passed away on 23 February, 2025, following a motorcycle accident on Entebbe Road in Kampala, Uganda.
Lawal, who died at the age of 29, was reportedly heading to a club training session after dropping off a friend at Entebbe Airport when the accident occurred.
Lawal joined Vipers SC back in 2022 from Rwanda’s AS Kigali and played a key role in their 2022/2023 Uganda Premier League title victory.
Before moving to East Africa, Lawal had a notable career in the Nigerian Premier Football League, NPFL, representing clubs such as Kano Pillars, Nasarawa United and Wikki Tourists.
Christian Chukwu
The former Super Eagles coach died on 12 April, 2025. Chukwu passed away at the age of 74.
He was one of those Nigerian footballers who both played and coached the national team.
Chukwu captained the Super Eagles to their first-ever Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, title in 1980 and later led the Super Eagles as head coach in the early 2000s.
Peter Rufai
The former Super Eagles first-choice goalkeeper died on 3 July 2025 at the age of 61 after battling with prolonged illness.
Dodomayana, as he is fondly called, was widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers Nigeria has produced.
Rufai’s career lasted two decades, and he played in Belgium, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.
He also represented Nigeria at two World Cups and as many Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, tournaments.
Diogo Jota
Jota died on the same day, 3 July 2025, that former Super Eagles goalkeeper Peter Rufai passed away.
The Liverpool forward, who was part of the Reds squad that won the Premier League title in May during Arne Slot’s first season, died in a car crash in Spain, alongside his brother Andre.
The 28-year-old was travelling in the vehicle with Andre when the car went off the road on the A-52 in the province of Zamora.
His tragic passing comes only two weeks after he got married to his long-term girlfriend, Rute Cardoso, in Porto.
George Foreman
The boxing legend passed away on 21 March 2025 at the age of 76.
Foreman was a two-time world heavyweight champion and also won Olympic gold back in 1968.
The American fought in two of the most iconic bouts of all time. In 1971, he took on Joe Frazier in ‘The Fight of the Century’. And three years later, he faced Muhammad Ali in ‘The Rumble in the Jungle’.
He retired from boxing in 1997, having lost only five fights during his career.
Hulk Hogan
The Wrestling legend died on 24 July 2025 at the age of 71 in his home in Clearwater, Florida.
Hogan was known for many professions, including acting in movies, but the most popular was wrestling.
He also starred in movies like No Hold Barred, Rocky III and Gremlins 2: The New Batch.
Ahmed Faras
The Moroccan football legend passed away on 16 July 2025, in Mohammedia at the age of 78, after a long illness.
Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in Morocco and African football, Faras left a lasting legacy with the Atlas Lions.
He captained Morocco to its only Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, title in 1976 and was also awarded the African Footballer of the Year award.
Denis Law
The Scottish football legend died on 17 January 2025 at the age of 84. Law died after battling Alzheimer’s disease and vascular dementia.
He is known as the “King of the Stretford End” during his professional career.
Elden Campbell
The former American basketball player died on 1 December 2025, after suffering a medical emergency while out fishing. Campbell is the all-time leading scorer for Clemson with 1,880 points.
He played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1990s and won an NBA title with the Detroit Pistons.
Buvaisar Saitiev
The three-time Olympic freestyle wrestling champion for Russia died on 2 March 2025. Saitiev passed away at the age of 49 years old in unexplained circumstances.
He is widely regarded as one of the greatest freestyle wrestlers of all time.
