Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman became the latest Nigerian international to etch his name in the history books after finishing 14th in the 2024 Ballon d’Or ranking at the awards ceremony held on Monday, October 28.
The former RB Leipzig star was the only African player to make the 30-man shortlist for this year’s award.
The 27-year-old became the sixth Nigerian to be nominated for the coveted prize following his remarkable campaign for Atalanta and the Super Eagles.
Lookman starred in the Europa League final, scoring a historic hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen to guide Gian Piero Gasperini’s side to their first-ever European title.
The former RB Leipzig man finished last season with 17 goals and 10 assists across all competitions for La Dea.
On the international stage, Lookman netted three goals at the 2023 African Cup of Nations, helping Nigeria reach the final against the hosts.
Lookman’s 14th position in the Ballon d’Or rankings makes him the third highest-ranked Nigerian in the history of the awards, behind Victor Osimhen and former Arsenal forward Nwankwo Kanu, who finished in 8th and 11th place respectively.
Here is the list of the most-ranked Nigerian players in Ballon d’Or history, as highlighted by Nigerian photojournalist Pooja on X:
1. Victor Osimhen (2023) – 8th
2. Nwankwo Kanu (1996) – 11th
3. Ademola Lookman (2024) – 14th
4. Finidi George (1995) – 21st
5. Nwankwo Kanu (1999) – 23rd
6. Victor Ikpeba (1997) – 32nd
Source: www.mynigeria.com
