By Monsurah Olatunji
Fulham’s Alex Iwobi has voiced strong support for Bukayo Saka as a potential contender for this year’s Ballon d’Or, suggesting that an injury setback may have been the only barrier preventing his former Arsenal teammate from being in the running for football’s most prestigious individual award.
As discussions around the 2025 Ballon d’Or focus heavily on standout talents like Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, Ousmane Dembele, and Raphinha—especially with Barcelona’s recent Champions League exit clearing the path for others—Iwobi believes Saka’s talent and character set him apart.
“I think one of the things that has really helped him is that he listens, is humble, and is always ready to learn,” Iwobi said. “I think that’s really what’s helped him.”
Reflecting on the impact of Saka’s injury, Iwobi added, “I think if he didn’t get injured, he’d potentially be a Ballon d’Or nominee. I think the sky is the limit, man. He’s too cold.”
Despite missing a significant part of the season due to injury, Saka was instrumental in Arsenal’s push to the Champions League semifinals and their second-place finish in the Premier League.
Iwobi’s remarks reflects the high esteem in which Saka is held among his peers and hint that, but for his injury, the Arsenal star might have been a frontrunner alongside established contenders such as Mohamed Salah.
Samuel Ahmadu is a distinguished multimedia journalist and women's football expert with over 15 years of experience in the industry. He began his career at Goal.com in February 2014, where he served as an African women's football correspondent for nearly eight years. During his tenure at Goal.com, Samuel covered major events such as three Women's Africa Cup of Nations (2016, 2018, 2022) and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada plus 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. His work at Goal.com earned him widespread acclaim, particularly for his in-depth profiles of African football stars, notably Asisat Oshoala, whose rise he documented from her early years to her breakthrough at the FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in 2014. Prior to his role at Goal.com, Samuel freelanced for various print and broadcast media outlets in Nigeria, including Graphics Newspaper, Radio Nigeria, Grace FM, and Savid Newspaper. His extensive experience and expertise led to his appointment to the Nigeria Football Federation's Standing Committee on Women's Football Development from 2016 to 2018. Since February 2018, Samuel has been the Social Media Manager for Nigeria's women's national teams.In 2019, Samuel joined the Confederation of African Football (CAF) as a women's football content contributor and was promoted to Women's Football Editor in 2021. His contributions to women's football continued as he worked as a Media Consultant for Content Creation and Editorials at the 2022 CAF Women's Champions League. Currently, Samuel also serves as the spokesman for the Nigeria Women Football League, further solidifying his influence and dedication to the growth of women's football in Africa.
