Super Eagles and Atalanta star Ademola Lookman has been nominated for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, marking a significant milestone as he is the only African player to be shortlisted among the 30 contenders.
The 26-year-old Lookman had a standout season, scoring 17 goals and providing 11 assists for Atalanta. His remarkable performance was pivotal in securing the club’s first-ever European title, including a hat-trick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen.
Other notable nominees for the prestigious award include Jude Bellingham, Vini Jr., Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappe. The full list of nominees is as follows:
- Antonio Rudiger – Real Madrid
- Kylian Mbappe – Real Madrid
- Lautaro Martinez – Inter
- Ademola Lookman – Atalanta
- Alejandro Grimaldo – Bayer Leverkusen
- Dani Carvajal – Real Madrid
- William Saliba – Arsenal
- Lamine Yamal – Barcelona
- Bukayo Saka – Arsenal
- Hakan Calhanoglu – Inter
- Rodri – Manchester City
- Declan Rice – Arsenal
- Harry Kane – Bayern Munich
- Cole Palmer – Chelsea
- Vitinha – PSG
- Vinicius Jr – Real Madrid
- Martin Odegaard – Arsenal
- Dani Olmo – Barcelona
- Florian Wirtz – Bayer Leverkusen
- Mats Hummels – Roma
- Erling Haaland – Manchester City
- Nicolas Williams – Athletic Bilbao
- Ruben Dias – Manchester City
- Federico Valverde – Real Madrid
- Emiliano Martinez – Aston Villa
The Ballon d’Or ceremony is set to take place on October 28 at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France.
