FIFPRO excludes Ademola Lookman from 2024 World Best XI nominees

By Saheed Afolabi

Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman has been notably omitted from the list of nominees for the 2024 FIFPRO World Best XI, despite his impressive performances over the past year.

Lookman, who made history by becoming the first player to score a hat-trick in a European Cup final when Atalanta defeated Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final, was not included in the 26-player nominees for the prestigious award.

The Nigerian winger also played a key role in the Super Eagles’ remarkable run to the final of the 2024 Africa Cup of Nations, where they finished as runners-up to the host nation, Ivory Coast, in February.

The 27-year-old has been in excellent form for his club this season, scoring nine goals and providing five assists in just 14 matches.

Lookman also ranked 14th in the 2024 Ballon d’Or rankings, further solidifying his standing as one of the top footballers globally.

The FIFPRO World Best XI nominees, which were unveiled on Monday, feature some of the biggest names in world football, with players voted for by over 21,000 professional footballers from 70 countries.

The 26 nominees represent those who received the most votes from their peers. Among the nominees are 2024 Ballon d’Or winner Rodri, Vinicius Jr., Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lionel Messi.

The full list of nominees for the 2024 FIFPRO World Best XI is as follows:

Goalkeepers

• Ederson (Manchester City, Brazil)
• Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa, Argentina)
• Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich, Germany)

Defenders

• Dani Carvajal (Real Madrid, Spain)
• Ruben Dias (Manchester City, Portugal)
• Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool, Netherlands)
• Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen, Netherlands)
• Antonio Rudiger (Real Madrid, Germany)
• William Saliba (Arsenal, France)
• Kyle Walker (Manchester City, England)

Midfielders

• Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England)
• Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City, Belgium)
• Phil Foden (Manchester City, England)
• Toni Kroos (Real Madrid, Germany)
• Luka Modric (Real Madrid, Croatia)
• Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich, Germany)
• Rodri (Manchester City, Spain)
• Federico Valverde (Real Madrid, Uruguay)

Forwards

• Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway)
• Harry Kane (Bayern Munich, England)
• Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain/Real Madrid, France)
• Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, Argentina)
• Cole Palmer (Manchester City/Chelsea, England)
• Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr, Portugal)
• Vinicius Jr. (Real Madrid, Brazil)
• Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain)

The official FIFPRO World Best XI will be revealed on Monday, December 9. Despite his exclusion, Lookman’s performances continue to make him a key figure in both club and international football.

Samuel Ahmadu

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.

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