Super Eagles’ striker, Ademola Lookman, whose hat-trick helped Atalanta to 2024 Europa League title, is among 30 players listed for the yearly Ballon d’Or.Lookman, who is currently in the Super Eagles’ camp preparing for a Morocco 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Benin Republic on Saturday, will contend with six English stars, six from Spain, and three Portuguese, among stars of different nationalities.The English stars on the list are Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Phil Foden, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and Cole Palmer.Young sensation, Lamine Yamal, who at age 17 announced his prodigious talent at the Euro 2024 in July, is among players from the victorious Spanish side in the list.Others are Dani Olmo, Rodri, Dani Carvajal, Nico Williams and Alejandro Grimaldo.There are a combined eight players from Manchester City and Arsenal, who finished first and second respectively in the Premier League, nominated.But for the first time since 2003, Argentina and Inter Miami forward, Lionel Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner who claimed the prize in 2023, does not make the list this time.
It is also the first time since 2003 that neither Messi, 37, nor five-time winner, Cristiano Ronaldo, 39, have appeared in the list of nominees.The award is voted for by a jury of journalists from each of the top 100 countries in the Fifa men’s world ranking.
The full list of nominees features Ruben Dias (Portugal and Manchester City), Phil Foden (England and Manchester City), Federico Valverde (Uruguay and Real Madrid), Emiliano Martinez (Argentina and Aston Villa), Erling Haaland (Norway and Manchester City), Nico Williams (Spain and Athletic Bilbao) and Granit Xhaka (Switzerland and Bayer Leverkusen).Others in the list are Artem