Nigeria will not have a representative at the Ballon d’Or this year. The winner will be announced today at the London Palladium. Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, and Kylian Mbappe are the top contenders.
No Nigerian players made it to the men’s shortlist, the women’s list, or any other award categories.
The event, which is the 70th edition of the Ballon d’Or, will start at 8 pm in London, which is 9 pm here in Nigeria. This is the first time the event is being held outside Paris. Kate Scott and Thierry Henry will be the hosts.
Fans expected to see two Nigerian stars at the awards. Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman were key players during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. They scored seven of the Super Eagles’ 14 goals and were among the tournament's top four scorers. Osimhen had 30 goal contributions for the 2025/26 season, while Lookman scored 12 goals and provided six assists.
Despite their impressive numbers, the assessment period for this year ran from August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026, the day of the World Cup final. Nigeria did not qualify for the World Cup, and performances in such big tournaments affect the judges' decisions.
This marks the end of a brief but significant time for Nigerian players in the awards. Osimhen finished eighth in 2023 after helping Napoli win the Serie A title. Lookman placed 14th last year after scoring a hat-trick in Atalanta’s Europa League final victory over Bayer Leverkusen and having a strong AFCON performance.
Last year, Nigerian women received recognition. Super Falcons coach Justine Madugu and goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie were nominated. They helped Nigeria win the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations by beating Morocco 3-2 in the final. Madugu was up for Women’s Team Coach of The Year, while Nnadozie was nominated for the Yashin Trophy. Both finished fourth in their categories in Paris.
In the men’s list, Africa is represented only by Sadio Mané from Al Nassr. The 30-man list is mostly filled with players from Paris Saint-Germain, who have 10 nominees. These include defending champion Ousmane Dembele, Achraf Hakimi, and Vitinha. Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Arsenal also have several players nominated. Gabriel, Declan Rice, and William Saliba are notable names from the Premier League. Erling Haaland and Bruno Fernandes are the only other players from England’s top league. Lionel Messi, an eight-time winner, is also on the list after a strong World Cup performance.
Kane, who led England to a third-place finish at the World Cup, can become the first Englishman to win since Michael Owen in 2001. Yamal helped Spain clinch the World Cup, beating Argentina 1-0 after extra time. The 19-year-old also won the European Championship in 2024 and is aiming for his third Kopa Trophy for the best player under 21. Rodri, now at Barcelona, won the Golden Ball as the World Cup’s best player and is nominated.
Mbappe did not win any trophies this year but was the top scorer in LaLiga, UCL, and the World Cup. He is nominated alongside his Real Madrid teammates Jude Bellingham and Vinicius Junior.
The winner will be chosen by journalists from the top 100 countries in the FIFA men’s rankings. Each journalist will rank their top 10 based on individual performance, team achievements, and fair play.
Players from PSG will have a scheduling conflict, as their Ligue 1 game against Lyon is also on Monday evening. Injured Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia can attend the award show since they will miss that match.
For Nigerian fans, it will be a night to watch and reflect on how quickly global recognition can fade without a World Cup appearance.
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇