Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman has been ranked 14th in the 2024 Ballon d’Or awards taking place in Paris.
The Atalanta forward narrowly missed joining Victor Osimhen in the top 10, with Osimhen finishing 8th last year.
This year, Lookman is the only African player nominated for the prestigious award.
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He had a standout season, helping Atalanta secure their first-ever European trophy by scoring a hat-trick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen. Overall, he tallied 17 goals and 11 assists for the club.
Lookman also played a crucial role for the Super Eagles, scoring two goals as Nigeria reached the final of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire, ultimately finishing as runners-up after a 2-1 loss to the hosts.
In the current season, he has continued his impressive form, contributing 5 goals and 3 assists, including a goal for Nigeria in an AFCON qualifier against Benin Republic.
Additionally, Lookman has been shortlisted for the 2024 African Footballer of the Year award by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
This year’s Ballon d’Or nominations are largely dominated by players from the Spanish national team, who won Euro 2024, and Real Madrid, champions of the UEFA Champions League.
A Spanish midfielder from Manchester City is a strong favorite to win the award.
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