Samuel Eto'o

Cameroonian striker who scored in two Champions League finals and won back-to-back trebles with Barcelona and Inter Milan.

Samuel Eto'o Fils (born 10 March 1981) is a Cameroonian football administrator and former player who is the current president of the Cameroonian Football Federation. Often regarded as one of the greatest strikers of all time, Sports Illustrated ranked him in first place in their list of the best African players in history in 2026.

Quick Facts

Office: Cameroonian Football Federation
Took office: 11 December 2021
Predecessor: Seidou Mbombo Njoya
Birth name: Samuel Eto'o Fils
Born: 10 March 1981
Birthplace: Douala, Cameroon
Occupation: Footballer; Football administrator

Lore & Background

A precocious talent, Eto'o moved to Real Madrid as a 16 year old. Due to competition in his position with more experienced players, he had several loan spells, before signing for Mallorca in 2000 where he scored 70 goals, a club record. His impressive form saw him join Barcelona in 2004 where he scored 130 goals in five seasons. Winning La Liga three times, he was a key member of the Barcelona attack, alongside Ronaldinho, that won the 2006 UEFA Champions League Final, with Eto'o scoring in the final, and was part of a front three of Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry that won the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final, with Eto'o again scoring in the final. He is the second player in history to score in two UEFA Champions League finals. At Barcelona, Eto'o came in third for the FIFA World Player of the Year in 2005 and was twice named in the FIFA FIFPro World XI, in 2005 and 2006. He signed with Inter Milan for the 2009–10 season, where he became the first player to win two European continental trebles following his back-to-back achievements with Barcelona and Inter. He is the fourth player in Champions League history, after Marcel Desailly, Paulo Sousa, and Gerard Piqué, to have won the trophy two years in a row with different teams. After brief spells with Anzhi Makhachkala, Chelsea, Everton, and Sampdoria, Eto'o found prolific form again in the Süper Lig with Antalyaspor having scored 44 goals in 76 league games. In 2015, he received the Golden Foot Award. He won the African Player of the Year a record four times, winning in 2003, 2004, 2005, and 2010. As a member of the Cameroon national team, Eto'o was a part of the squad that won the Gold Medal at the 2000 Olympics. He also won the Africa Cup of Nations in 2000 and 2002. Eto'o has participated in four World Cups and six Africa Cup of Nations. He is the all-time leading scorer in the history of the Africa Cup of Nations, with 18 goals, and is Cameroon's all-time leading scorer and third most capped player, with 56 goals in 118 caps. Eto'o announced his retirement from international football in August 2014.

Reader's Guide

Eto'o's club career began at Real Madrid's youth academy in 1997, but he could only train with Real Madrid B. After loan spells at Leganés and Espanyol, he transferred to Mallorca on loan, then signed permanently for a club record fee. At Mallorca, he scored 70 goals and won the Copa del Rey in 2003. He joined Barcelona in 2004 for €24 million, winning La Liga three times and the Champions League twice, scoring in both finals. He moved to Inter Milan for the 2009–10 season, winning a treble. Later clubs included Anzhi Makhachkala, Chelsea, Everton, Sampdoria, and Antalyaspor.