Ademola Lookman ranks 14th in Ballon d’Or

Ademola Lookman, forward for the Super Eagles and Atalanta, has reached a significant milestone by securing the fourteenth spot in the Ballon d'Or rankings in 2024.

On Monday night in Paris, France, the organizer of the Ballon d'Or made the announcement.

This is the first nomination for the coveted prize for the Nigerian international, who plays for Atalanta in Serie A.

The 27-year-old striker became a household name worldwide after a string of outstanding performances. Lookman has been named one of the best football talents of the year after making outstanding achievements for his club and nation.

Lookman is widely considered the frontrunner for the 2024 CAF Player of the Year award, riding high on his historic and spectacular performances in the Europa League with Atalanta and his candidacy for the Ballon d'Or.

In last season's European club tournament final victory against Bayer Leverkusen, the Atalanta star scored a hat trick, becoming the first player to do so.

Lookman is the sole African player nominated for the 2024 Ballon d'Or, which is unsurprising given his outstanding year. He scored 11 goals and provided seven assists in 31 Serie A games for Atalanta.

During the 2023 Ballon d'Or ceremony in Paris, Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen finished ninth place.

Among the notable players who made it into the 2023 Ballon d'Or rankings were Osimhen, Robert Lewandowski, Jude Bellingham, Mohamed Salah, and Karim Benzema.

In 1999, former Eagles captain Nwankwo Kanu was the last Nigerian player to get a nomination for the award; he became the first Nigerian footballer to be considered for the award in 24 years after that.

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