Super Eagles and Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman has been nominated for the prestigious 2024 Ballon d’Or award. Lookman earned his spot on the list following his remarkable performance in the Europa League final, where he scored a hat-trick to lead Atalanta to victory over Bayer Leverkusen.
In the men’s player of the year category, Lookman is one of several notable nominees. Other contenders include Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr, Manchester City’s Rodri, and Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal. Lookman stands out as the only African player among the full list of nominees.
The complete list of Ballon d’Or contenders features:
- Antonio Rudiger – Real Madrid
- Kylian Mbappe – Real Madrid
- Lautaro Martinez – Inter Milan
- Ademola Lookman – Atalanta
- Alejandro Grimaldo – Bayer Leverkusen
- Dani Carvajal – Real Madrid
- William Saliba – Arsenal
- Lamine Yamal – Barcelona
- Bukayo Saka – Arsenal
- Hakan Calhanoglu – Inter Milan
- 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
- Granit Xhaka – Bayer Leverkusen
- Artem Dovbik – Roma
- Toni Kroos – Real Madrid
- Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid
- Phil Foden – Manchester City
- Ruben Dias – Manchester City
- Federico Valverde – Real Madrid
- Emiliano Martinez – Aston Villa
The Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled to take place on October 28, 2024, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. In addition to the Ballon d’Or for the best male player, the awards will include:
- Ballon d’Or Féminin – Best female player
- Yashin Trophy – Best male goalkeeper
- Kopa Trophy – Best male player under 21
- Gerd Muller Trophy – Best male striker
- Socrates Award – Recognizing humanitarian work
- Men’s Club of the Year Award
- Women’s Club of the Year Award
- Men’s Coach of the Year Award
- Women’s Coach of the Year Award
