Sports
Ademola Lookman Shines As Only African In 2024 Ballon d’Or Race
Nigerian international, Ademola Lookman, has been nominated for the 2024 Ballon d’Or emerging as the only African player shortlisted for the prestigious award this year.
This marks the first time in Lookman’s career that he has been nominated for the Ballon d’Or.
Lookman had an outstanding 2023-2024 season, where he played 45 matches across all competitions for his club, Atalanta. During this time, the 26-year-old forward scored 17 goals and provided 10 assists, showcasing his exceptional skills on the field.
His brilliant performance helped Atalanta achieve significant success, including winning their first-ever Europa League title. In the final match of the tournament, Lookman made history by scoring a remarkable hat-trick, further solidifying his impact on the team.
In addition to his club success, Lookman was also a standout player for Nigeria at the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), held between January and February 2024. His contributions to both his club and country have earned him a spot on the Ballon d’Or shortlist, where he will compete against Real Madrid stars Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham for the top honor.
Below are all the players nominated for the 2024 Ballon d’Or:
Jude Bellingham (England and Real Madrid)
Ruben Dias (Portugal and Manchester City)
Phil Foden (England and Manchester City)
Federico Valverde (Uruguay and Real Madrid)
Emiliano Martinez (Argentina and Aston Villa)
Erling Haaland (Norway and Manchester City)
Nico Williams (Spain and Athletic Bilbao)
Granit Xhaka (Switzerland and Bayer Leverkusen)
Artem Dovbyk (Ukraine and Roma)
Toni Kroos (former Germany and Real Madrid)
Vinicius Jr (Brazil and Real Madrid)
Dani Olmo (Spain and Barcelona)
Florian Wirtz (Germany and Bayer Leverkusen)
Martin Odegaard (Norway and Arsenal)
Mats Hummels (Germany, free agent)
Rodri (Spain and Manchester City)
Harry Kane (England and Bayern Munich)
Declan Rice (England and Arsenal)
Vitinha (Portugal and Paris St-Germain)
Cole Palmer (England and Chelsea)
Dani Carvajal (Spain and Real Madrid)
Lamine Yamal (Spain and Barcelona)
Bukayo Saka (England and Arsenal)
Hakan Calhanoglu (Turkey and Inter Milan)
William Saliba (France and Arsenal)
Kylian Mbappe (France and Real Madrid)
Lautaro Martinez (Argentina and Inter Milan)
Ademola Lookman (Nigeria and Atalanta)
Antonio Rudiger (Germany and Real Madrid)
Alejandro Grimaldo (Spain and Bayer Leverkusen)
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