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.
Portugal’s new head coach Jorge Jesus has explained why he named Cristiano Ronaldo in his first national team squad, stressing that current form, not past achievements, will decide the 41-year-old’s place.
Jesus included the Al-Nassr forward in the 25-man group for the upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against Wales, Norway and Denmark.
According to football transfer expert, Fabrizio Romano on X on Friday, speaking after announcing the squad on Friday, the coach said:
“His performance is what matters. The past doesn’t count.
“Cristiano is a player like all the others. If he is performing well, he will play. If he isn’t, he won’t.
“He has a different status and has won five Ballon d’Or awards, but does that influence my decisions? No.
“But is he a different player? Absolutely.”
The call-up ends speculation that Ronaldo’s international career may have ended after Portugal’s World Cup exit earlier this summer. Jesus previously coached Ronaldo at Al-Nassr and takes charge of Portugal for the first time against Wales on September 24.
Saudi Pro League club Al-Taawoun have been ordered to play two home league matches behind closed doors after supporters taunted Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves with chants about the death of his close friend and former teammate Diogo Jota.
As reported by BBC Sport on Thursday, Al-Taawoun have also been fined 100,000 Saudi Riyals (£20,000) over the incident.
Supporters repeatedly shouted “Jota” at Neves before Al-Hilal’s 6–0 victory on Saturday.
The chants referred to Jota, the Liverpool and Portugal forward who died in a car crash at the age of 28 last July.
Jota and Neves were close friends after playing together at Wolverhampton Wanderers and for Portugal.
Neves now wears the number 21 shirt for Portugal in Jota’s memory and has a tattoo on his calf showing the pair embracing.
He was also a pallbearer at Jota’s funeral.
After the match, Neves condemned the supporters’ behaviour.
“I just hope they don’t go to pray later after what they did,” he told reporters.
Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Saudi club Al-Nassr and was an international teammate of Jota, had also reacted strongly to the incident.
The five-time ballon D’or winner called for lifetime bans to be issued to the chanting fans
The Saudi Pro League’s decision means Al-Taawoun will serve two home-match stadium closures in addition to the financial penalty.
In a statement, Al-Taawoun said: “Such behaviour is completely unacceptable and does not represent the club, its fans, or the values for which the club is known.
“Sports competition cannot be a justification for insulting, belittling, or bullying others at the expense of anyone’s feelings.”
Todd Boehly has stepped down as Chelsea chairman after selling his stake in the club to majority owner Clearlake Capital, which has now taken full control.
Boehly and director Mark Walter sold their shares in a deal that hands Clearlake complete ownership. Boehly, Walter and Swiss billionaire Hansjörg Wyss previously each held a 12.8% stake, while Clearlake owned 61.5%. The club confirmed Wyss will remain an important stakeholder and partner in the ownership group.
Clearlake, led by co-founders Behdad Eghbali and José E. Feliciano, paid approaching £1 billion for the stakes, which represent about a quarter of the club. Club sources put Chelsea’s overall value at around £5 billion.
Boehly has held the chairman role since 2022, when the consortium bought Chelsea for £2.3 billion from Roman Abramovich following UK government sanctions. He will leave the position as part of the transaction.
In a statement on Thursday, Boehly said: “It has been an honour to serve as Chelsea chairman. I would like to thank the many who helped secure a bright future for the club, including the English Premier League, the coaches and players, the talented leadership and staff at Chelsea, and the legions of dedicated fans. I have valued my partnership with Clearlake and the wider ownership group, and the collective decisions and investment we have made to support the immediate and long-term success of the club. I am confident that Chelsea is well positioned for continued success under Clearlake’s leadership.”
Eghbali and Feliciano thanked Boehly for his “time and contribution” as chairman, adding that he “will always be a part of the Chelsea story and family.” They said their focus remains on investing in the club’s infrastructure, sporting performance, player development and delivering long-term success for supporters.
A club statement confirmed there will be “no changes to the day-to-day operations, leadership or strategy” following the deal. Boehly and Walter have also sold their shareholding in Chelsea’s partner club, French side Strasbourg.
Talks within the ownership group began after a rift that first became apparent in 2024, with both sides previously exploring options to buy each other out. BBC Sport reported in August that Boehly and Walter were considering selling their stakes.
Since the 2022 takeover, Chelsea’s highest Premier League finish has been fourth in 2024-25, a season in which they also won the UEFA Conference League and FIFA Club World Cup. The club finished 10th last season and appointed Xabi Alonso as manager in the summer. The ownership period has been marked by high player turnover and a strategy focused on signing young players to long-term contracts. Plans to redevelop Stamford Bridge or move to a new stadium had at times created tension between Boehly’s camp and Clearlake.
Walter, co-owner and chief executive of Guggenheim Partners, last month sold the Los Angeles Lakers for a record $12.5 billion. US federal prosecutors and the Securities and Exchange Commission are separately investigating companies in his business empire.
