Four Nigerian footballers—Ademola Lookman, William Troost-Ekong, Asisat Oshoala, and Paul Onuachu—have made it to the shortlist for the prestigious FIFA Best Awards 2024, announced by the football governing body on Friday.
• Ademola Lookman, playing for Atalanta in Italy’s Serie A, has been nominated for Best Attackeralongside high-profile names like Vinicius Junior, Bukayo Saka, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo. Lookman, who was instrumental in Atalanta’s Europa League victory and helped Nigeria reach the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final, is also a frontrunner for the CAF Player of the Year 2024title.
• William Troost-Ekong, Nigeria’s stand-in captain, has been shortlisted in the Best Defendercategory. He will compete against the likes of Arsenal’s William Saliba and Real Madrid’s Antonio Rüdiger.
• Asisat Oshoala, a record-holder for CAF Women’s Player of the Year, is up for the newly introduced Marta Award, which honors the best goal in women’s football. Oshoala’s acrobatic goal against Benfica in the Women’s Champions League in November 2024 has earned her this nomination.
• Paul Onuachu, who plays for Southampton, is also in the running for the Puskas Award, given for the best goal in men’s football. His stunning flick for Trabzonspor in a November 2023 match against Konyaspor is among the contenders.
Meanwhile, Lionel Messi, the Inter Miami forward, leads the nominations for Best Men’s Player, where he is up against Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, Vinicius Junior, Kylian Mbappé, Jude Bellingham, and others.
The FIFA Best Awards 2024 will feature voting from both fans and an impartial panel. Fans can cast their votes on the FIFA website until December 2024.
