At the prestigious 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony held at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, Ademola Lookman proudly secured the 14th spot in the rankings, while Manchester City’s Rodri Hernández claimed the coveted award.
Lookman, the Atalanta striker, was the only African player nominated among the 30-man shortlist announced by France Football on October 26. His stellar season, highlighted by a historic hat-trick that led Atalanta to its first Europa League title, earned him widespread recognition.
“It’s an honor to be shortlisted, and being the only African nominee makes it even more special,” Lookman shared with BBC Sport Africa. “This year has been monumental for both my club and country, and being recognized as one of the top contenders is a huge achievement.” The 27-year-old Lookman notched 11 goals and seven assists in 31 Serie A games, in addition to three goals that helped Nigeria reach the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final.
The top of the rankings saw Rodri crowned as the winner, with other notable positions including Kylian Mbappe in sixth, Lautaro Martinez in seventh, and Lamine Yamal in eighth. The top 10 concluded with Toni Kroos in ninth and Harry Kane in tenth. Phil Foden placed 11th, followed by Florian Wirtz, Dani Olmo, and Lookman. Rounding out the top 20 were Nico Williams, Granit Xhaka, Federico Valverde, Emiliano Martinez, Martin Odegaard, and Hakan Calhanoglu.
In the women’s category, Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati took home the Ballon d’Or, while 17-year-old Lamine Yamal was awarded the Kopa Trophy for the best young player. Jennifer Hermoso of Spain received the Socrates Award for humanitarian work. Other accolades included the Yachine Trophy for Emiliano Martinez (best goalkeeper), joint Gerd Muller Trophy winners Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe (top scorers), Emma Hayes (Women’s Coach of the Year), and Carlo Ancelotti (Men’s Coach of the Year). Real Madrid and Barcelona were honored as the men’s and women’s clubs of the year, respectively.
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