For decades, the Ballon d’Or has stood as football’s most prestigious individual prize, a global recognition reserved for the very best players in the game.
It was reports that while European and South American stars have traditionally dominated the award, several Nigerians have forced their way into the conversation, from the golden generation of the 1990s to the new wave led by Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala.
This year, Nigeria’s presence on the Ballon d’Or stage continues, with two fresh nominees ahead of the 69th ceremony scheduled for Monday, September 22, 2025, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.
Two Nigerians made history when the Ballon d’Or shortlist was unveiled on August 7, 2025:
Chiamaka Nnadozie –
shortlisted for the Women’s Yashin Trophy (best goalkeeper), making her the first African goalkeeper ever to earn a nomination in this category.
Justine Madugu
– nominated for the Women’s Best Coach (Johan Cruyff Trophy) after leading the Super Falcons to WAFCON glory and being named Best Coach of the Tournament.
Nigeria’s Historic Nominees
Nigeria’s Ballon d’Or story stretches back to the mid-1990s when the award was first opened to non-Europeans. Some of the highlights include:
Finidi George (1995, 21st place)
– His Champions League triumph with Ajax earned him six votes.
Daniel Amokachi (1995, nominated)
– Recognised for his FA Cup heroics with Everton.
Austin ‘Jay-Jay’ Okocha (1995, nominated)
– Celebrated for his flair with Eintracht Frankfurt and Nigeria.
Nwankwo Kanu (1996, 11th; 1999, 23rd)
– Nigeria’s Olympic hero finished 11th in 1996, one of the country’s best-ever showings at the time.
– Nicknamed the “Prince of Monaco,” Ikpeba earned two votes after a stellar Ligue 1 season.
Sunday Oliseh (1998, nominated)
– Shortlisted after strong displays for Ajax and at the World Cup.
Asisat Oshoala (2022, 16th; 2023, 20th)
– The first Nigerian woman to break into the Ballon d’Or Féminin shortlist with Barcelona Femeni.
Victor Osimhen (2023, 8th)
– Made history by finishing 8th overall, the highest-ever placement for a Nigerian male, after leading Napoli to a Serie A title.
Ademola Lookman (2024, shortlisted)
– Earned recognition after a Europa League final hat-trick for Atalanta and an impressive AFCON run.
For years, Kanu’s 11th-place finish in 1996 stood as the benchmark for Nigerian footballers until Osimhen shattered the record in 2023.
His top-eight finish ignited fresh belief that a Nigerian could one day win the coveted prize.
On the women’s side, Oshoala’s back-to-back nominations cemented Nigeria’s presence among the elite, though she has yet to break into the top 10.
Now, with Nnadozie’s historic nomination and Madugu’s coaching recognition, Nigeria’s footprint on football’s biggest individual stage continues to expand.
Moroccan prosecutors on Thursday sought jail terms of up to two years for 18 Senegalese football fans imprisoned in Rabat since last month’s AFCON final over “hooliganism”, an AFP journalist reported.
Seeking the maximum penalty for some, the prosecution told the court that the defendants had “deliberately sought to disrupt the proper conduct of the match”.
It said the group “committed acts of violence broadcast live on television”, while the defendants have denied any wrongdoing.
The Senegalese fans have been in pre-trial detention since January 18, the day of the heated AFCON final in which Morocco lost to Senegal 1-0 on home turf.
Minutes before the end of the match, some Senegalese supporters attempted a pitch invasion, while Senegal’s players halted the game for nearly 20 minutes to protest a late penalty awarded to Morocco.
Some fans were also seen throwing objects onto the field, including a chair.
The prosecution said evidence against the defendants was based on footage from surveillance cameras at the stadium, as well as medical reports documenting injuries among security forces and stadium stewards.
Material damage to the stadium was estimated at more than 4 million Moroccan dirhams ($430,000), the prosecution said.
Morocco is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup alongside Spain and Portugal.
World football governing body FIFA is yet to deliver its verdict on the petition submitted by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), alleging that DR Congo fielded ineligible players during last November’s 2026 World Cup African play-offs, The PUNCH reports.
Nigerians were kept on edge on Monday in anticipation of the ruling, as the intercontinental play-offs are scheduled to take place from March 26 to 31 in Mexico.
The Super Eagles missed out on automatic qualification during the qualifying series last year but advanced to the African play-offs, where they were eventually beaten by DR Congo on penalties.
Several unconfirmed reports circulated on Monday regarding the team’s fate, but NFF President Ibrahim Gusau said the federation was still awaiting communication from FIFA.
“We are still waiting to hear from FIFA. We are hopeful, by the grace of God,” Gusau said.
DR Congo have been drawn to face the winner of the tie between New Caledonia and Jamaica for a chance to secure one of the two available World Cup slots.
As the play-offs approach, a verdict from FIFA is expected soon, with the NFF maintaining confidence in its case.
“We believe that we have a chance; that is why we petitioned. If we knew we didn’t have a chance, we wouldn’t have petitioned. That is our submission — it is now left to FIFA to decide,” the NFF General Secretary, Dr Mohammed Sanusi, told The PUNCH.
Nigeria’s protest is based on the alleged improper switch of nationality by some DR Congo players.
According to FIFA statutes, a player may request to change the association they are eligible to represent only once. The process requires a written and substantiated application, carried out in line with domestic regulations and approved by FIFA’s Players’ Status Committee.
FIFA regulations require a player to hold a passport of the new country they wish to represent — even if they also possess another nationality. However, Congolese law does not permit dual nationality, a point believed to be central to Nigeria’s complaint.
Like the NFF, there remains a sense of hope among the players.
“We’re still waiting — hopefully we can go to the World Cup,” midfielder Alex Iwobi said recently.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the National Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko, suggested that the final recourse for either Nigeria or DR Congo could be the Court of Arbitration for Sport after FIFA delivers its decision.
“It requires a lot of things, and by the time it is finally decided, whether Nigeria wins or DR Congo wins, I believe the case might even go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport,” Dikko said in Morocco last month.
“For us, we are waiting to see how it goes. All I know is that FIFA is still handling the petition,” he added.
The 2026 World Cup will be held from June 11 to July 19 across 16 cities in the three host countries.
Former Nigeria coach José Peseiro believes Ademola Lookman has grown to rival Victor Osimhen’s influence with the Super Eagles and insists the forward has the qualities to become a central figure at Atlético Madrid.
Although Osimhen has long been regarded as Nigeria’s leading figure, Peseiro said Lookman’s performances, particularly at the Africa Cup of Nations, have been equally decisive.
“Osimhen was the star, but Lookman has not been behind him. In fact, he has scored more goals. Now they are both key figures,” he told Marca, pointing to the winger’s hat-trick in the Europa League final for Atalanta as further evidence of his impact at club level.
Lookman has been the standout performer for the Super Eagles at back-to-back Africa Cup of Nations tournaments, directly contributing to 11 goals (six goals and five assists) in 13 appearances that saw them winning a silver and bronze medal.
Peseiro, who handed Lookman consistent opportunities during his tenure, also dismissed suggestions that he is difficult to manage, describing him instead as grounded and responsive when given trust and freedom on the pitch.
“Lookman does not act like a star, he is very easy to manage, you just have to let him be free,” he said.
Peseiro said the 28-year-old’s immediate impression in Spain underlined his ability. He urged patience as the player settles but maintained that his composure and talent were already evident.
“Playing like that three days after arriving can only be explained by his quality. Now we must remain calm because he still needs to adapt, but it is already clear that he does not feel pressure. If you give him freedom and accept his boldness and creativity, Lookman has the potential to produce outstanding seasons and make an era at Atlético,” Peseiro said.
He described the transfer as a pivotal stage in Lookman’s career, adding that the move fulfils a long-held ambition to compete at the highest level in Europe while proving doubters wrong.
“For him it is a challenge and a very important step because he has achieved the objective he always had of reaching one of the best clubs in Europe and continuing to prove to England that they made a mistake with him,” he said.
Peseiro revealed that conversations in 2022 helped lay the groundwork for Lookman’s resurgence. At the time, the forward had struggled for stability across spells at Everton, RB Leipzig, Fulham and Leicester City.
The Portuguese coach said Lookman had spoken candidly about his disappointment after falling out of favour with England’s youth set-up despite winning the Under-20 World Cup in 2017.
“He was still young, but he often told me how sad he was that after winning the Under-20 World Cup in 2017 and progressing to the Under-21s, England stopped calling him up. He did not understand it and believed he had a future there, but he had to accept it,” Peseiro revealed.
Now approaching his peak years, Lookman has added defensive discipline and physical strength to his attacking qualities, according to his former coach. Peseiro said the demands of Italian football accelerated his development.
“He has become more mature and complete. He can shoot, pass and beat opponents one against one. He has also improved greatly defensively and physically,” he said.
“He told me he suffered more in training in Italy than in Germany or England, but through effort he progressed in an area that was necessary. He is very professional and resilient. Even if it is not obvious at first glance, he fights, presses, defends and is very strong physically.”
Peseiro believes Lookman is at his most effective operating centrally behind a striker, where he can exploit pockets of space and influence matches with goals or assists.
“On the wing he can destabilise opponents and make good diagonal runs, but his best position is behind the forward. When he finds space inside, he can shoot, dribble or assist. That is where he is most decisive,” he added.
