Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman has been nominated for the prestigious 2024 men’s Ballon d’Or award.
The 26-year-old Atalanta player was named among 29 other footballers on the shortlist, which was announced by France Football Magazine on Wednesday. Lookman is the only African player to be included in this year’s nominations.
Notably, eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi and five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo are absent from the list. Lookman had an outstanding season, helping Atalanta secure their first-ever European trophy.
His standout performance came in the Europa League final, where he scored a hat-trick against Bayer Leverkusen. Overall, he netted 17 goals and provided 11 assists for the Italian club last season, earning him a place among the world’s top football talents.
