Ballon d’Or reveals why Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman is named among world’s best stars in new video

France Football, the organisers of the prestigious Ballon d’Or, has unveiled a new video celebrating the nomination of Nigerian winger Ademola Lookman, Soccernet.ng reports.

Lookman was among the 30 top players shortlisted for the 2024 Men’s Ballon d’Or.

The Atalanta forward is the only African footballer on the list, following an outstanding year for both club and country.

The 26-year-old, who is also the frontrunner for this year’s Africa Footballer of the Year, will compete with the likes of Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Jr, and Jude Bellingham for football’s most coveted individual honour.

On Monday, a new video was shared on the Ballon d’Or’s social media platforms, highlighting why Lookman has been elevated to the ranks of the game’s elite.

The video showcased Lookman’s pivotal role in helping Nigeria reach the final of the Africa Cup of Nations, where the former Everton star scored three goals and provided one assist.

Lookman was also instrumental in Atalanta’s historic Europa League triumph, scoring all three goals in their 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in the final—becoming the first player to score a hat-trick in a European competition final.

In total, the Ballon d’Or video highlighted that Lookman contributed 33 goal involvements (22 goals and 11 assists) in only 61 appearances for both Atalanta and Nigeria during the period under review.

Lookman has further strengthened his case for the accolades he’s been nominated for with his recent performances for both Atalanta and Nigeria.

The former RB Leipzig winger provided a stunning assist and scored a brilliant goal to lead Atalanta to a 3-2 victory over Fiorentina at the weekend, marking his Serie A season debut.

Just days earlier, Lookman netted two goals in Nigeria’s 3-0 win over Benin Republic in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier. He also had a well-taken goal controversially disallowed in Nigeria’s goalless draw against Rwanda.

Lookman is set to be one of the key players to watch when Atalanta face Arsenal in their opening Champions League fixture this week.