Super Eagles forward, Ademola Lookman, has been nominated for the 2024 men’s Ballon d’Or award, making him the only African player to make the prestigious list of 30 nominees.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by France Football Magazine.
Lookman, who plays for Atalanta in Italy, earned the nomination following an outstanding season in which he helped his club secure their first-ever European trophy.
Notably, the 26-year-old scored a hat-trick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen, cementing his place among the elite players of the
In addition to his club success, Lookman netted 17 goals and provided 11 assists for Atalanta throughout last season.
He was also instrumental in Nigeria’s run to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final earlier this year, scoring two goals as the Super Eagles finished as runners-up, losing to Cote d’Ivoire 2-1 in the final.
Interestingly, eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi and five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo were both absent from this year’s shortlist, marking a significant shift in the competition.
In terms of competition, this year’s nominees are dominated by players from Spain’s national team, which won the Euro 2024, and Real Madrid, the UEFA Champions League winners.
Among the notable names are Jude Bellingham, Vini Junior, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappé.
