Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman will not compete for the 2026 Men’s Ballon d’Or after both Nigeria forwards were left out of the 30-man shortlist, Footynaija reports.
France Football announced the nominees on Tuesday, with several of Europe’s biggest names included. The award will recognise players based on their performances from August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026. That period included the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a tournament Nigeria failed to reach.
The absence of the Super Eagles from the World Cup appears to have hurt the chances of two of their leading players.
Related Post
Osimhen and Lookman played major roles in Nigeria’s run at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. They were among the tournament’s four leading scorers and scored seven of Nigeria’s 14 goals between them.
Their club records were also strong. Osimhen produced 30 goal contributions in all competitions during the 2025-26 season. Lookman ended the campaign with 12 goals and six assists. But neither player earned a place among the 30 nominees.
It means another missed chance for Osimhen to build on his best Ballon d’Or finish. The Galatasaray striker became the first Nigerian to reach the top 10 in 2023, when he finished eighth.
Lookman went even closer to the top 10 a year later. He finished 14th in the 2024 voting after playing a key role in Atalanta’s Europa League success.
The 2026 list includes Paris Saint-Germain defender Achraf Hakimi and Al-Nassr forward Sadio Mané among the nominees.
The Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place in London on Monday, October 26.
30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or
Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid
Pau Cubarsí – FC Barcelona
Marc Cucurella – Real Madrid
Ousmane Dembélé – PSG
Bruno Fernandes – Manchester United
Luis Díaz – Bayern
Erling Haaland – Manchester City
Gabriel Magalhães – Arsenal
Harry Kane – Bayern
Achraf Hakimi – PSG
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – PSG
Lamine Yamal – FC Barcelona
Sadio Mané – Al Nassr
Marquinhos – PSG
Lautaro Martínez – Inter
Kylian Mbappé – Real Madrid
Lionel Messi – Inter Miami
Nuno Mendes – PSG
Michael Olise – Bayern
Joao Neves – PSG
Julian Quiñones – Al-Qadisiyah
Willian Pacho – PSG
Declan Rice – Arsenal
Rodri Hernández – FC Barcelona
Ferran Torres – PSG
Fabian Ruiz – PSG
Dayot Upamecano – Bayern
William Saliba – Arsenal
Vinicius – Real Madrid
Vitinha – PSG
