In the 2024 Ballon d’Or rankings, Ademola Lookman proudly secures the 14th position, highlighting his impressive performance over the past year and his growing reputation in international football.
Ademola Lookman from Nigeria has been ranked 14th in the 2023 Ballon d’Or awards, held in Paris, France.
The Atalanta forward came very close to joining Victor Osimhen as one of the only Nigerians to break into the top 10 in the Ballon d’Or award. Last year, Osimhen was ranked 8th.
Lookman is the sole African player to be nominated for the award this year.
Lookman was in outstanding form last season, leading Atalanta to their inaugural European trophy victory by scoring a hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final.
He recorded 17 goals and 11 assists for Atalanta last season.
The ex-Everton player also played a crucial role in the Super Eagles’ journey to the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final in Côte d’Ivoire earlier this year.
He scored twice, leading the Nigerian team to a runner-up finish in the competition after a 2-1 defeat against the hosts in the final.
In the new season, Lookman has continued his impressive form from last year, already tallying 5 goals and 3 assists. Notably, one of these goals was scored for Nigeria in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Benin Republic.
Lookman has been nominated by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for the 2024 African Footballer of the Year award.
This year’s Ballon d’Or shortlist is heavily influenced by players from the Spanish national team, who clinched victory in the Euro 2024 during the summer, and members of Real Madrid’s squad that won the UEFA Champions League.
The Spanish midfielder from Manchester City is the strong favorite to win the award this year.
