Ademola Lookman enters 2024 Ballon d’Or top 20 ranking

By Oyediji Oluwaseun Babatunde

Nigeria forward, Ademola Lookman made the top 20 players at the end of the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony organised by France Football Magazine.

The Super Eagles star finished in 14th position as the only African player on the list.

He finished ahead of the likes of Nico Williams, Granit Xhaka, Federico Valverde, Emiliano Martinez, Martin Odegaard, IHakan Calhanoglu, Bukayo Saka, Antonio Rudiger, Ruben Dias, William Saliba, Cole Palmer, Declan Rice, Vitinha, Alejandro Grimaldo, Mats Hummels, and Artem Dovbyk.

Rodri who won the men’s Ballon d’Or alongside Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, Ering Haaland, Kylian Mbappe, Lautauro Martinez, Lamine Jamal, Toni Kroos, Harry Kane, Phil Fodden, Florian Wirtz, and Dani Olmo finished ahead of Atalanta forward.

His compatriot, Victor Osimhen finished in the top 10 positions last year.

Lookman player pivotal role in helping Nigeria reach the final of the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Cote D’Ivoire.

He also scored a hat trick in the final of the 2023/2024 UEFA Europa League final for Atalanta.

In the league, Lookman scored 11 goals with seven assists in 31 games last season and is already getting his foot running with four goals and four assists after six games this season.

He is one of the top contender to win the 2024 Africa Footballer of the year after Osimhen won it last year.