2 weeks Ago By Joe Wright
The 2024 Ballon d'Or ceremony takes place on Monday, October 28 in Paris. Vinicius Junior and Aitana Bonmati are the frontrunners for the two biggest prizes at the black-tie event, at which prizes for the the best coaches, clubs, young player and goalkeeper of the 2023/24 season will also be awarded. Ademola Lookman was named on the 30-strong shortlist for the men's Ballon d'Or after a standout campaign for Atalanta.
His spectacular hat-trick in the UEFA Europa League final secured a first trophy for the Italian side since 1963 and inflicted the only defeat of the entire season on Bayer Leverkusen. While Lookman has never been one of the favourites to win this year's prize , his nomination is recognition of his standing as one of the finest players not only from Nigeria, but Africa as a whole. Were he to win the trophy, he would join a very exclusive club.
MORE: All-time Ballon d'Or winners | How the trophy is decided Which African players have won the Ballon d'Or? George Weah remains the only African player to have won either the men's or women's Ballon d'Or. The former AC Milan star was the winner of both France Football's prize and the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 1995. Back in the past! The 1995 Ballon d'Or Ranking with George Weah! #ballondor pic.
twitter.com/ya7oD9ZII5 Weah, who was elected president of Liberia in January 2018, was born in the country's capital Monrovia in 1966. He won 75 senior international caps for the West African nation.
He is the father of United States international and Juventus winger Timothy Weah. There is another Ballon d'Or winner who was born in Africa. Eusebio, who lifted the trophy in 1965, was born in Mozambique's capital city, Maputo.
However, the country was still officially an overseas province of Portugal at the time. Eusebio played for the youth team of Sporting Lourenco Marques before moving to Lisbon at the age of 18, signing for Benfica a year later. He went on to become a global star for his club side and the Portugal national team and is still widely considered the greatest player in Benfica history.
African players nominated for Women's Ballon d'Or In 2024, two African players were nominated for the same Ballon d'Or Feminin for the first time: Orlando Pride's Barbra Banda, Lyon's Tabitha Chawinga. 1️⃣ day 1️⃣ nominee 🇳🇬 Asisat Oshoala - FC Barcelona #ballondor pic.twitter.
com/XJfpCOBjrv Since the trophy's inaugural year in 2018, only one other African player has received a nomination. Asisat Oshoala, a three-time UEFA Women's Champions League winner with Barcelona and now playing for Bay FC in the United States, was on the shortlist in 2022 and 2023..
