Super Eagles forward Ademola Lookman believes Barcelona’s young star, Lamine Yamal, has the talent to one day claim the Ballon d’Or, Soccernet.ng reports.
The Spanish wonderkid garnered attention following his standout performances for the Spanish national team, which earned him the UEFA European Championship Young Player of the Tournament award, and his goal was named Goal of the Tournament.
The 17-year-old winger’s rise didn’t stop there—he went on to win the Kopa Trophy and received a nomination for the 2024 Ballon d’Or, finishing eighth in the rankings.
Notably, he placed ahead of retired Real Madrid midfielder Toni Kroos, who finished ninth, and England’s Gerd Muller Trophy joint-recipient Harry Kane.
Lookman, who ranked 14th in the 2024 Ballon d’Or standings, spoke to DAZN during the award ceremony and tipped the young Spanish star to claim the Ballon d’Or one day.
Watch the video here:
The Super Eagles forward also shared his view that Brazilian forward Neymar, despite his brilliance during his time in Europe, missed out on the prestigious award he deserved.
Lookman was the only Nigerian nominated for the Ballon d’Or, thanks to his impressive performances for club and country in 2024.
The former Everton forward singlehandedly scored a hat-trick in the Europa League final and contributed three goals and one assist during the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations, which was instrumental in helping Nigeria reach the tournament final.
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