Akor Adams

Akor Adams
Adams with Montpellier in 2024
Personal information
Full name Akor Jerome Adams
Date of birth (2000-01-29) 29 January 2000 (age 26)
Place of birth Benue State, Nigeria
Height 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)
Position Striker
Team information
Current team
 Venezia
Number 45
Youth career
Jamba Football Academy
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2021 Sogndal 50 (14)
2022–2023 Lillestrøm 38 (23)
2023–2025 Montpellier 47 (11)
2025–2026 Sevilla 36 (10)
2026– Venezia 7 (2)
International career‡
2019 Nigeria U20 2 (0)
2025– Nigeria 18 (7)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Nigeria
Africa Cup of Nations
Third place2025 Morocco
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 05:41, 18 October 2026 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals as of 18:45, 6 October 2026 (UTC)

Akor Jerome Adams Listenⓘ(born 29 January 2000) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Venezia and the Nigeria national team.

Club career

Sogndal

In August 2018, Adams joined Norwegian side Sogndal from Jamba Football Academy in Nigeria. He made his debut for the club on 28 August 2018. He missed much of the 2020 season due to injury. His contract with Sogndal expired at the end of the 2021 season. He ended the season with 10 goals in 28 games.

Lillestrøm

On 2 December 2021, Adams signed a three-year contract with Lillestrøm. He made his competitive debut in the Norwegian Football Cup, scoring against Nardo. He made his Eliteserien debut on 2 April 2022 against HamKam, scoring one of the goals in a 2–2 draw. Adams scored 28 goals in 50 appearances for Lillestrøm SK across all competitions.

Montpellier

On 7 August 2023, Adams joined Ligue 1 club Montpellier for a reported fee of €4 million. Akor Adams scored 11 goals in all competitions during his time at Montpellier HSC (from August 2023 to January 2025).

Sevilla

On 27 January 2025, Adams joined La Liga side Sevilla for a reported €5 million fee, signing a four-and-a-half-year contract. His first goal for the club came on 28 September 2025, a late match-winner away against Rayo Vallecano in a 1–0 victory. He repeated the feat the following week in their next match against Barcelona, scoring his team's fourth goal in a 4–1 win against the Catalans. On 14 December, he scored a goal and had an assist in a 4–0 win against Oviedo, earning La Liga MVP honors for the match.

During his first season with Sevilla, Adams made a total of 32 appearances, scoring 10 goals and providing three assists across all competitions. He was nominated for the 2025/26 La Liga African MVP award, but lost to Pape Gueye. In June 2026, amid transfer speculation linking him with clubs like Marseille and Lyon, Adams publicly denied the exit rumors, stating that his sole focus remained on the upcoming season with Sevilla under manager Luis García.

Venezia

On 22 July 2026, Adams joined Serie A team Venezia on a four year deal for a reported club record €17 million fee plus potential bonuses.The move was endorsed by former Nigeria international Sam Sodje, who said that the decision could have been influenced by Venezia's long-term project. Sodje stated that a player's choice of club could depend on the project presented to him rather than the club's current status.

Adams made his Serie A debut on 23 August 2026 in a 2–0 loss to Lecce. He scored his first goal for Venezia on 11 September in a 4–2 loss against Fiorentina.

International career

Adams featured for the Nigeria under-20 team at the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup, bowing out in the last 16 to Senegal on a 2–1 scoreline. On 4 October 2025, Adams was handed his first call-up to the senior Nigerian team for two 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Lesotho and Benin, scoring on his debut as substitute against Lesotho.

On December 11, 2025, Adams became part of the Nigerian roster for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations held in Morocco, where he secured a bronze medal. He scored two goals in the tournament, both of them in the knockout stage.

Player profile

Style of play

Adams is a physically dominant striker who can play as a target man or supporting forward. His 190 cm height combined with his leaping ability make him a strong aerial threat, winning an average of 2.74 aerial duels per game in the 2025–26 season, placing him in the top tier among European forwards. While primarily right footed, Adams possesses a powerful shot with either foot, preferring power to placement. Due to his physical strength, Adams has excellent hold-up play. At Sevilla, he stated that likes to run in space and to help take pressure off the team. Adams is particularly dangerous on the counterattack where he can use his pace against opposition defences. Defensively he is known for his pressing ability and positional awareness.

Reception

Nigeria national team manager Eric Chelle described Adams as a player with "amazing physical capacity", who brings a lot of movement on the pitch and can make others shine. International teammate Ademola Lookman stated Adams is a strong player who has a great understanding of the game. According to Lookman, Adams is not just a number 9, as there are many different elements to his game. Former Nigeria manager José Peseiro called Adams "a tank", saying that when he is in the box, defenders have to make a choice to fight him and lose the duel or back off and let him shoot. Olivier Dall'Oglio, who coached Adams at Montpellier said he reminds him of old school number nines: "He doesn't want to dribble you, he wants to run through you. His time in Norway taught him to be direct".

Personal life

Adams was born in Kogi State, Nigeria. His father Joseph was a school teacher in physical education. Adams is a devout Christian who frequently shares his faith and credits Jesus Christ for his success in football.

Career statistics

Club

As of match played 17 October 2026
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Sogndal 2018 Norwegian First Division 10100—10111
2019 12300—10133
2020 20——2242
2021 261010—102810
Total 501410—525616
Lillestrøm 2022 Eliteserien 2385210—2910
2023 15155300—2018
Total 382310510—4928
Montpellier 2023–24 Ligue 1 32812——3310
2024–25 15310——163
Total 471122——4913
Sevilla 2024–25 La Liga 40———40
2025–26 321010——3310
Total 361010——3710
Venezia 2026–27 Serie A 7222——94
Career total 17860169105220071

International

As of match played 6 October 2026
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
Nigeria 202572
2026115
Total187
Scores and results list Nigeria's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Adams goal.
List of international goals scored by Akor Adams
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 10 October 2025 Peter Mokaba Stadium, Polokwane, South Africa  Lesotho 2–0 2–1 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
2 13 November 2025 Moulay Hassan Stadium, Rabat, Morocco  Gabon 1–0 4–1 (a.e.t.) 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
3 5 January 2026 Fez Stadium, Fez, Morocco  Mozambique 4–0 4–0 2025 Africa Cup of Nations
4 10 January 2026 Marrakesh Stadium, Marrakesh, Morocco  Algeria 2–0 2–0
5 27 March 2026 Mardan Sports Complex, Antalya, Turkey  Iran 2–1 2026 Jordan International Tournament
6 10 June 2026 Estádio Dr. Magalhães Pessoa, Leiria, Portugal  Portugal 1–1 1–2 Friendly
7 6 October 2026 Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia  Russia 3–3 3–3

Honours

Nigeria

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Akor Adams at WorldFootball.net
  2. ↑ Sjøberg, Rune (16 August 2018). "Akor Jerome Adams blir Sogndal-spelar". Sogndal Fotball (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Akor Adams at the Norwegian Football Federation (in Norwegian)
  4. ↑ Hopen, Andreas (17 July 2021). "Stor interesse for Sogndal-talent på utgående kontrakt". Eurosport (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  5. ↑ Stokstad, Morten (2 December 2021). "Akor Adams klar for LSK". Lillestrøm SK (in Norwegian). Retrieved 2 April 2022.
  6. ↑ Eurosport (26 August 2023). "Ligue 1 : Mousa Al Tamari et Akor Adams, les deux pépites inattendues de Montpellier". Eurosport. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  7. ↑ "Akor Adams nouvel attaquant du MHSC" (in French). Montpellier HSC. 7 August 2023. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  8. ↑ Barlow, Ruairidh (28 January 2025). "Sevilla secure new Nigerian number nine from Ligue 1 on 4.5-year deal". Football España. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  9. ↑ "FC Sevilla: Akor Adams finally scores his first La Liga goal!". Yahoo Sports. 28 September 2025. Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  10. ↑ "Séville FC 4-1 FC Barcelone, La Liga : Le Barça s'effondre à Séville". L'Équipe (in French). 4 October 2025. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  11. ↑ "A FIRST GOAL + ASSIST FOR AKOR". Sevillafc.es. Retrieved 5 October 2026.
  12. ↑ Akinbo, Peter (25 May 2026). "Gueye beats Adams to La Liga African MVP award". Punch Newspapers. Retrieved 5 October 2026.
  13. ↑ Randa, Andrew (25 June 2026). "Akor Adams dismisses Sevilla exit rumours, aays focus is on next season". Footy-Africa. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
  14. ↑ "Done Deal: Venezia break club record to sign Nigeria striker Adams". Football Italia. 22 July 2026. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  15. ↑ "'It depends on who wanted him' — Sam Sodje on Akor Adams' surprise transfer". Footy-Africa. 2 September 2026. Retrieved 3 September 2026.
  16. ↑ Ogunbayo, Abiodun (12 September 2026). "Akor Adams Breaks Serie A Drought With First Venezia Goal Against Fiorentina". sports247.ng.
  17. ↑ Akor Adams at Global Sports Archive
  18. ↑ "Senegal 2-1 Nigeria". ESPN. 3 June 2019. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  19. ↑ "AKOR ADAMS RECEIVES NIGERIA CALL-UP". sevillafc.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 October 2025.
  20. ↑ "Lesotho vs Nigeria: Akor Adams' debut goal proves decisive as Super Eagles take advantage of South Africa slip-up in fierce World Cup race". Pulse Sports Nigeria. 10 October 2025. Retrieved 12 November 2025.
  21. ↑ "Nigeria name star-packed AFCON squad as Osimhen and Lookman lead Super Eagles challenge". Nigeria name star-packed AFCON squad as Osimhen and Lookman lead Super Eagles challenge. Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  22. ↑ "Nigeria Clinches AFCON Bronze in Thrilling Penalty Shootout Against Egypt". Retrieved 22 January 2026.
  23. ↑ "Akor Adams: The Humble Giant Who Turned Heartbreak Into Bronze". blog-gh.msport.com. Retrieved 6 October 2026.
  24. ↑ "AKOR ADAMS: "I AM FIT AND MENTALLY READY"". sevillafc.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 October 2026.
  25. ↑ Tomisin, Lai-Oke (28 September 2023). "Akor Jerome Adams: Nigeria's Next Top Striker?". Breaking The Lines. Retrieved 6 October 2026.
  26. ↑ Dove, Ed (7 January 2026). "Akor Adams 'makes the team shine' and Nigeria's strikers, Osimhen and Lookman, would be lesser without him". ESPN. Retrieved 6 October 2026.
  27. ↑ "Akor Adams: The Humble Giant Who Turned Heartbreak Into Bronze". blog-gh.msport.com. Retrieved 6 October 2026.
  28. ↑ Rapheal (21 December 2023). "Akor Adams: Rising football star, Ligue 1's goal machine,". The Sun Nigeria. Retrieved 6 October 2026.
  29. 1 2 Akor Adams at National-Football-Teams.com Edit this at Wikidata
  30. ↑ Stevens, Rob (17 January 2026). "Afcon 2025: Egypt 0-0 Nigeria (2-4 pens) - Super Eagles finish third". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 January 2026.