Here are the only Nigerian footballers who have been nominated for arguably the most prestigious award in the history of football, the Ballon d'Or.
With some of the biggest names in the history of football picking up a nomination or winning the award itself, the Ballon d'Or is revered and known as one of the most coveted individual awards in the history of football, this is why whenever a footballer gets the recognition of being nominated it is often considered a huge milestone in their career.
With over 100 footballers in Europe and the rest of the world engaging in football activities, a shortlist of 30 nominees indicates how highly rated players who make the list are, Nigerian star players have also been acknowledged by the Ballon d'Or which is why we collated a list of the only footballers who have been nominated in the Men's Player of the Year category over the course of time.
How Many Nigerian Footballers Have Been Nominated For The Ballon d'Or?
Since the inception of the Ballon d'Or awards in 1956, only 8 Nigerians have been nominated for the prestigious award. The evolution of Nigerian football over time and the unique talents of the players on this list played a crucial role in the nomination of these footballers.
Who Are The Nigerian Footballers That Have Been Nominated For The Ballon d'Or?
- Finidi George
- Daniel Amokachi
- Nwankwo Kanu
- Jay Jay Okocha
- Sunday Oliseh
- Victor Ikpeba
- Victor Osimhen
- Ademola Lookman
What Year Was Finidi George Nominated For The Ballon d'Or?
The former Super Eagles and Ajax player was nominated for the Ballon d'Or in 1995 alongside the first African to win the award, George Weah. He had received a total of 6 votes from the voting committee. Finidi George had an undeniable run with Ajax as he won a total of five titles with the Dutch side, one of such trophies was the UEFA Champions League.
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What Year Was Daniel Amokachi Nominated For The Ballon d'Or?
The Super Eagles legend who was part of the Atlanta 1996 dream team was also nominated in 1995 following his crucial role for the Super Eagles of Nigeria and the English side Everton.
What Year Was Nwankwo Kanu Nominated For The Ballon d'Or?
Nwankwo Kanu is arguably the most successful Nigerian at the Ballon d'Or, and to date, he has the highest ranking at the awards. Kanu was nominated in 1996, where he finished at 11th place on the ranking following his massive success at Ajax. He received a total of 16 votes in 1996, which put him above other international players like Raul, Didier Deschamps, etc.
He was also nominated in 1999 and also received two votes that same year.
What Year Was Jay-Jay Okocha Nominated For The Ballon d'Or?
Jay-Jay Okocha was nominated in 1995 and 1999 but was not ranked because he did not get any votes from the voting committee. His nominations came following his successful spell at the German side Eintracht Frankfurt and the Super Eagles' success at the African Cup Of Nations and the Olympics.
What Year Was Sunday Oliseh Nominated For The Ballon d'Or?
Sunday Oliseh was nominated in 1998 for the Ballon d'Or following his decisive strike against Spain at the World Cup in that same year. He was also influential in Ajax's title win of the Double Dutch in 1998 as well.
What Year Was Victor Ikpeba Nominated For The Ballon d'Or?
Victor Ikpeba, who was regarded as the Prince of Monaco in the Ligue 1, bagged his Ballon d'Or nomination in 1997, the same year he won the African Player of the Year.
Victor Ikpeba received a total of two votes from the Ballon d'Or voting committee in 1997.
What year was Victor Osimhen nominated for the Ballon d'Or?
The CAF African Player of the Year 2023 Victor Osimhen received his first Ballon d'Or nomination in 2023, following his active contribution towards Napoli's unforgettable 2022/2023 Serie A campaign which saw the club win the scudetto for the first time in over 50 years.
Aside from being shortlisted, Victor Osimhen was also ranked in the top 10 players for the award of the Men's Player of the Year at the number 8 spot.
What year did Ademola Lookman receive his Ballon d'Or nomination?
Following what has been categorized as an unforgettable 2023/2024 campaign with the Italian side Atalanta and his AFCON 2023 campaign with Nigeria, winger Ademola Lookman was recognized for his immense contribution with a Ballon d'Or nomination on Wednesday, September 4, 2024.
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