The stage was set for the 2024 Ballon d’Or ceremony which took place in Paris on Monday evening more than a month after the 30-man final shortlist was revealed on September 4.
The list had a host of big names for the men’s player award such as Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham, Rodri, Lautaro Martinez, Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, Bukayo Saka, Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Cole Palmer and among others.
Rodri ultimately won the award ahead of Real Madrid duo Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham. One name that however stood out on the list was Atalanta and Nigeria forward Ademola Lookman, who placed 14th.
The 27-year-old’s stock has continued to rise immensely after he made history by scoring a hat-trick in Atalanta’s 3-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen in last season’s Europa League final.
The moment was not only historic as he was the first player to score a hat-trick in the final of the competition. It also ended Leverkusen’s hopes of going the entire season unbeaten.
Lookman instantly became a favourite among pundits and enthusiasts globally, with interviews held with the coach that helped shape his career from his formative years at Charlton Athletic.
Ranked at the 14th place for the 2024 Men’s Ballon d’Or! @Alookman_ @Atalanta_BC @thenff #ballondor pic.twitter.com/G1cXMd1jT8
— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) October 28, 2024
Lookman, who was born in London to Nigerian parents, did not quite have the buzz in English football playing with Charlton, Everton, Leicester City and Fulham. Even his spell at Leipzig did not yield much attention.
It was however at Atalanta under seasoned Italian tactician Gian Piero Gasperini that things began to take shape when he was signed in the summer of 2022.
Gasperini probably saw something in the Nigerian others did not see and captured him for a bargain of €15 million. That was probably the best investment for Atalanta under Gasperini as Lookman began to excel, scoring a career-best 15 competitive goals in his first season, 13 of them in the Serie A with eight assists.
He took it up a notch in the 2023-24 season by having a hand in 27 competitive goals (17 goals, 10 assists) in 45 matches, all of which landed Atalanta the Europa League, saw them reach the Coppa Italia final and also finish in the Serie A top four.
— Ademola Lookman (@Alookman_) October 29, 2024
Lookman’s 14th-place Ballon d’Or finish is very commendable seeing that he finished ahead of big-name players like Nico Williams (15th), Granit Xhaka (16th), Federico Valverde (17th), Bukayo Saka (21st) and Cole Palmer (25th).
He however stands out because he was the only African player to have made the 30-man shortlist. This is the first time such has happened in a while with the list usually having the likes of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Riyad Mahrez, and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang among others.
For none of these names made it neither did others like Brahim Diaz, Sehrou Guirassy, Victor Osimhen, Thomas Partey, Achraf Hakimi and others, and that is further validation of Lookman being a class apart.
It is no denying that the Europa League triumph is what catapulted him to such a position but that is something worth deserving especially from a Nigerian perspective where a player made the Ballon d’Or shortlist in back-to-back years, following Osimhen’s historic eighth-place finish in 2023.
It probably makes him the prime candidate for the 2024 CAF African Player of the Year, much like how Osimhen claimed it after leading Napoli to their first Serie A title in 33 years and also winning the Capocannoniere for top scorer.
We celebrate our own ‘Adebobo’ @Alookman_ . We are proud of you Ade, congratulations 💫🎉🥇🏆🎖️#soarsupereagles pic.twitter.com/S1NqvslHqa
— 🇳🇬 Super Eagles (@NGSuperEagles) October 28, 2024
It also speaks volumes of Lookman and his immense growth since he joined Atalanta just two years ago. From a player that was bearly reckoned with to a name that is heard all over Europe and across the globe. That is a remarkable transformation.
It is also a vindication of his decision to represent Nigeria over England which will only get better as the Super Eagles show more promise in the future in their challenge for African glory and global relevance.
Lookman’s future at Atalanta is uncertain after he was reported to have wanted a move in the summer that never materialised. His form has not dropped with 10 competitive goal involvements (five goals, five assists) in as many games. This, coupled with his Ballon d’Or placing, will make him an even bigger interest to clubs which might not come cheap.
Should he make the move to a bigger club and flourish even further, Nigerians back at home and abroad can raise their glasses in celebration, knowing that names like Lookman are doing a great job in creating a positive imprint of the country on the global map.
