France Football, the organizers of the Ballon d’Or award, released a new video celebrating Nigerian winger Ademola Lookman, who has been shortlisted for the 2024 Men’s Ballon d’Or.
Representing Atalanta, Lookman is the only African player among the 30 top footballers nominated for the award, after an exceptional year for both club and country.
The 26-year-old forward, who is also a strong contender for this year’s African Footballer of the Year award, will compete with the likes of Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, and Jude Bellingham for the honor.
On Monday, the Ballon d’Or’s social media platforms shared a video showcasing why Lookman has risen to the ranks of football’s elite.
The video features highlights of his instrumental performances, including his pivotal role in helping Nigeria reach the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, where he scored three goals and provided one assist.
He also scored all three goals in their 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the final, becoming the first player to score a hat-trick in a European competition final.
The video also highlighted Lookman’s tally of 33 goal involvements (22 goals and 11 assists) across 61 appearances for both Atalanta and Nigeria during the review period.
Ademola Lookman provided an assist and scored a brilliant goal to lead Atalanta to a 3-2 victory over Fiorentina in his first appearance of the 2024/25 Serie A season.
Days earlier, he netted twice in Nigeria’s 3-0 win over Benin Republic in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, and had a well-taken goal controversially disallowed in a goalless draw against Rwanda.
Lookman is expected to feature in Atalanta’s UEFA Champions League clash against Arsenal on Wednesday.
