Nigeria and Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman secured a respectable 14th-place finish in the 2024 Ballon d’Or rankings following an outstanding year for club and country.
The final standings were announced by the Ballon d’Or organisers on Monday, with Lookman emerging as the highest-ranked African player on this year’s 30-man shortlist.
Softfootball understands that the Super Eagles star earned his nomination after a remarkable 2023/24 campaign, during which he starred for both Nigeria and Atalanta on the biggest stages.
The 27-year-old was instrumental in Nigeria’s journey to the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Côte d’Ivoire, scoring three goals and earning a place in the tournament’s Best XI thanks to his outstanding performances.
Lookman carried that impressive form into the club season, helping Atalanta reach both the Coppa Italia and UEFA Europa League finals. Although Gian Piero Gasperini’s side fell to Juventus in the Coppa Italia final, the Nigerian produced one of the greatest performances of his career by scoring a stunning hat-trick in Atalanta’s 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen to win the Europa League.
His exploits have also earned him a nomination for the 2024 CAF Men’s Player of the Year award alongside Super Eagles captain William Troost-Ekong, with many tipping him as a leading contender for the African crown.
Last year’s CAF Player of the Year, Victor Osimhen, finished eighth in the 2023 Ballon d’Or rankings.
Meanwhile, Manchester City and Spain midfielder Rodri was crowned the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner after an exceptional campaign. He became the first Spanish player to claim the award since Luis Suárez in 1960 and the first Premier League player to win it since Cristiano Ronaldo in 2008.
