Super Eagles and Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman secured an impressive 14th-place finish in the prestigious Ballon d’Or rankings. The ceremony took place at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
His exceptional performance with Atalanta last season, culminating in a hat-trick that secured their first-ever European trophy, earned him global recognition.
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He was the only African player in the 30-man list, released by France Football on October 26. His achievements at Atalanta came alongside a stellar year for the Super Eagles, where he also led Nigeria to the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.
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His 14th-place ranking follows last year’s result from Victor Osimhen, who finished eighth after leading Napoli to their first Serie A title in three decades. Lookman’s placement reflects a strong period for Nigerian players on the international stage.
Those who ranked behind Lookman include notable names like Nico Williams in 15th, Granit Xhaka in 16th, Federico Valverde in 17th, and Emiliano Martinez in 18th. The full list of players trailing Lookman also features:
- 29th – Artem Dovbyk, Mats Hummels
- 28th – Alejandro Grimaldo
- 27th – Vitinha
- 26th – Declan Rice
- 25th – Cole Palmer
- 24th – William Saliba
- 23rd – Ruben Dias
- 22nd – Antonio Rudiger
- 21st – Bukayo Saka
- 20th – Hakan Calhanoglu
- 19th – Martin Odegaard
- 18th – Emiliano Martinez
- 17th – Federico Valverde
- 16th – Granit Xhaka
- 15th – Nico Williams
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