Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman has been nominated for the 2024 men’s Ballon d’Or award. The Atalanta striker is the only African player included in the list released by France Football Magazine on Wednesday night.
Notably absent from this year’s list are Lookman’s compatriot Victor Osimhen, who was ranked 8th in last year’s voting, as well as eight-time winner and current holder Lionel Messi, and five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo.
Lookman played a key role in Atalanta’s success last season, helping the club secure its first-ever European trophy. The Nigerian forward was in brilliant form, scoring a hat-trick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen. Overall, he recorded 17 goals and 11 assists for Atalanta throughout the season.
His performances also extended to the international stage, where he was instrumental in Nigeria’s journey to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final in Côte d’Ivoire earlier this year. Lookman contributed two goals as the Super Eagles finished as runners-up, narrowly losing 2-1 to the hosts in the final.
This year’s Ballon d’Or nominations are dominated by Spanish national team players, following their Euro 2024 triumph, and members of Real Madrid’s UEFA Champions League-winning squad. Among the notable names on the list are Jude Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappé.
Lionel Messi, now 37 and playing for Inter Miami in MLS, is not among the 30 contenders this year, despite winning the Copa America with Argentina in July. He was also absent from the 2022 nominees when Karim Benzema claimed the award.
Full list of 2024 Ballon d’Or nominees:
Jude Bellingham, Hakan Çalhanoğlu, Dani Carvajal, Martin Ødegaard, Dani Olmo, Cole Palmer, Rúben Dias, Declan Rice, Artem Dovbyk, Rodri, Phil Foden, Antonio Rüdiger, Alejandro Grimaldo, Bukayo Saka, Erling Haaland, William Saliba, Mats Hummels, Federico Valverde, Harry Kane, Vinícius Jr., Toni Kroos, Vitinha, Ademola Lookman, Nico Williams, Emiliano Martínez, Florian Wirtz, Lautaro Martínez, Kylian Mbappé, Granit Xhaka, Lamine Yamal.
