France Football Magazine on Wednesday, revealed its list of nominees for the prestigious award, featuring 29 players, including the 26-year-old Ademola Lookman from Atalanta, Italy. Notably, he is the sole African representative on the list. This year’s nominations do not include eight-time winner and current titleholder Lionel Messi, nor five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo. Lookman showcased remarkable talent last season, playing a pivotal role in Atalanta’s historic achievement of winning their first European trophy, highlighted by his hat-trick performance in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen.
Last season, Lookman netted 17 goals and provided 11 assists for Atalanta. The former Everton player also played a key role in the Super Eagles’ journey to the final of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Côte d’Ivoire earlier this year. He scored two goals as Nigeria finished as runners-up, narrowly losing 2-1 to the hosts in the final. This year’s Ballon d’Or nominations are heavily populated by players from the Spanish national team, which triumphed at Euro 2024 this summer, as well as members of Real Madrid, who clinched the UEFA Champions League title.
Among the prominent names on the list are Jude Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappé. Here’s the complete list of nominees for the Men’s Ballon d’Or:
- Jude Bellingham
- Hakan Çalhanoğlu
- Dani Carvajal
- Martin Ødegaard
- Dani Olmo
- Cole Palmer
- Rúben Dias
- Declan Rice
- Artem Dovbyk
- Rodri
- Phil Foden
- Antonio Rüdiger
- Alejandro Grimaldo
- Bukayo Saka
- Erling Haaland
- William Saliba
- Mats Hummels
- Federico Valverde
- Harry Kane
- Vinícius Júnior
- Toni Kroos
- Vitinha
- Ademola Lookman
- Nico Williams
- Emiliano Martínez
- Florian Wirtz
- Lautaro Martínez
- Kylian Mbappé
- Granit Xhaka
- Lamine Yamal
