Joining the ranks of Nigerian football legends, Atalanta winger Ademola Lookman has earned a prestigious nomination for the 68th Annual Ballon d’Or.
Notably, Lookman is the only African representing a Men’s national team that was nominated for this year’s award, cementing his place among football’s elite.
Ademola Lookman has been nominated for the 2024 Ballon d’Or award. Photo | X
After a standout year with both the Super Eagles and Atalanta, Lookman’s remarkable feats couldn’t go unnoticed.
Lookman’s crowning moment came during the Europa League final, where he scored a sensational hat-trick to lead Atalanta to a 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin.
This achievement made him the first African to score a hat-trick in a European final and only the sixth player in history to do so, after Borussia Monchengladbach’s Jupp Heynckes in 1975.
Ademola Lookman celebrates with the UEFA Europa League Trophy. (Photo by Charles McQuillan – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Lookman’s heroics didn’t stop there. He handed Bayer Leverkusen their first defeat after an astonishing 51-match unbeaten run, leading Atalanta to their second trophy in the club’s 116-year history, alongside their 1963 Coppa Italia triumph.
With the Super Eagles, Lookman shone during the 2023 AFCON.
In a tournament where Nigeria had struggled scoring goals, his impact was undeniable.
He scored twice against Cameroon in the round of 16 to secure a 2-0 victory and added another crucial goal in the quarter-final against Angola for Nigeria to win 1-0.
Although Nigeria ultimately fell short, losing 2-1 to hosts Ivory Coast in the final, Lookman’s performances were nothing short of extraordinary.
As the winger joins Nigeria’s history of Ballon d’Or nominees, let’s take a look at the other Nigerian football icons who have earned this prestigious honour over the years.
1. Victor Osimhen (2023)
Victor Osimhen. (Photo by AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images)
The reigning African Footballer of the Year, Osimhen, was nominated for the Ballon d’Or following a sensational season with Napoli in 2023.
Scoring 31 goals and providing 5 assists, he led Napoli to the Serie A title in over three decades and claimed the Pichichi for the league’s top scorer.
Osimhen became the first Nigerian to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or in 24 years and eventually finished 8th, the highest ranking ever for a Nigerian player.
2. Finidi George (1995)
Nwankwo Kanu (left) and Finidi George (right) after the European Cup Final between AC Milan and Ajax in Vienna, Austria. Ajax won the match and cup 1-0. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Finidi George’s nomination in 1995 was a historic moment as he was one of the first Nigerians to receive this honor.
His exceptional performances with Ajax, which included winning the UEFA Champions League, earned him recognition.
George scored 9 goals and provided 11 assists that season, finishing 21st in the Ballon d’Or standings.
3. Daniel Amokachi (1995)
Daniel Amokachi in action for the Super Eagles during the France 1998 FIFA World Cup [Image: Getty images]
Amokachi’s efforts with Everton, particularly in their FA Cup triumph, where he scored 6 goals, made him a deserving candidate.
Despite being among the first Nigerians nominated, he did not receive any votes.
4. Austin ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha (1995)
Jay jay Okocha (C) fends off an unidentified Tunisian player during their semi-final match at the Africa Nations Cup in Rades. (Photo | FRANCK FIFE/AFP/Getty Images)
So good they named him twice, Jay-Jay Okocha, known for his dazzling skills, was the third Nigerian nominated in 1995.
At the time, he was playing for Eintracht Frankfurt in the German Bundesliga, where his flair and creativity stood out.
Okocha scored 7 goals and provided 7 assists that season, though he didn’t receive any votes in the Ballon d’Or rankings.
5. Nwankwo Kanu (1996, 1999)
Kanu Nwankwo celebrates after scoring during a Premier League match for Arsenal. Photo | Getty Images
Kanu Nwankwo remains the only Nigerian to have earned two Ballon d’Or nominations.
He was first nominated in 1996, following his instrumental role in leading Nigeria to Olympic gold at the Atlanta Games.
Kanu finished 11th in the Ballon d’Or rankings that year, becoming the top African player ahead of George Weah.
At 20 years, the former Arsenal player is the youngest ever Nigerian to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or.
He was nominated again in 1999 after stellar performances with Arsenal.
6. Victor Ikpeba (1997)
Victor Ikpeba in action for AS Monaco. Photo | Getty Images
Victor Ikpeba, often called “The Prince of Monaco,” had a brilliant 1996-1997 season, scoring 16 league goals and 4 in the UEFA Champions League.
Ikpeba’s efforts helped Monaco win Ligue 1, earning him a 32nd place finish in the 1997 Ballon d’Or rankings.
7. Sunday Oliseh (1998)
Sunday Oliseh wheels towards the fans as celebrates his screamer against Spain at France ’98. Photo | Getty Images
In 1998, Sunday Oliseh’s performances for Ajax and his iconic World Cup goal against Spain earned him a Ballon d’Or nomination.
Oliseh was a key figure in Nigeria’s memorable World Cup run as he scored an iconic goal against Spain in Nigeria’s opening fixture of the World Cup in France and also Ajax’s success, scoring 6 goals and providing 8 assists that season.
These footballing legends have all made Nigeria proud on the global stage.
With Lookman now added to this illustrious list, his nomination is not just a personal achievement, but also a testament to the continued rise of Nigerian football on the world stage.
Though he is not been tipped to win it, it’s a great achievement for the 26-year-old and even africa whose only nomination comes from Lookman.
