Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman are both absent from France Football’s 30-man 2026 Ballon d’Or shortlist, despite strong campaigns for Galatasaray and Atletico Madrid.
Nigeria’s three-year run on football’s most prestigious individual shortlist has come to an end. Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman were both left off the 30-man list for the 2026 Men’s Ballon d’Or, released by France Football on Tuesday, 8 September. For a country that has grown used to seeing its biggest stars in the conversation, the snub stings.
France Football’s panel names 30 players a year, drawn from performances across the previous club season and any major international tournaments. Neither Osimhen nor Lookman made the cut this time, despite both men delivering productive campaigns. As a result, Nigeria loses its representation on the list for the first time in three years.
That said, the numbers argue Nigeria had a case. Osimhen finished the 2025-26 season with 30 goal contributions across all competitions, spearheading Napoli’s attack before his move to Galatasaray. Meanwhile, Lookman contributed 12 goals and six assists in an Atalanta shirt before also switching clubs, to Atletico Madrid.
Ballon d’Or voting leans heavily on trophies and Champions League impact, not just raw output. Osimhen’s goals came largely in Serie A and Europa League football rather than the Champions League proper, while Lookman’s Atalanta side missed out on the deep European runs that tend to catch voters’ attention. In other words, the numbers were there — the stage, arguably, wasn’t.
It’s also worth noting that competition for places has intensified. With Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and a crowded field of Premier League and La Liga forwards all vying for recognition, marginal cases like Osimhen’s and Lookman’s were always going to be vulnerable to being squeezed out.
Unsurprisingly, the snub has generated plenty of debate among Nigerian football fans, many of whom feel Osimhen’s goal tally alone should have guaranteed a shortlist spot. However, others have pointed out that individual awards increasingly reward team success over pure statistics — a trend that has worked against African players before.
For our part, the disappointment is understandable, but it shouldn’t overshadow what both players have already achieved this year. Osimhen’s move to Galatasaray and Lookman’s switch to Atletico Madrid both represent significant steps in careers that are still very much trending upward.
Attention now turns to how Osimhen and Lookman respond on the pitch. Both are set to feature prominently in the 2026/27 Champions League group stage — Osimhen for Galatasaray against a group featuring Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, and Lookman for Atletico Madrid against Bayern Munich, Liverpool and Manchester United among others. A strong European campaign this season would put both players firmly back in the conversation for 2027.
There’s also the small matter of Nigeria’s AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign, which kicks off later this month against Madagascar and Guinea-Bissau. Continued goal returns for the Super Eagles won’t hurt either man’s case either.
Did any Nigerian player make the 2026 Ballon d’Or shortlist?
No. Neither Victor Osimhen nor Ademola Lookman was included in the 30-man list announced on 8 September 2026, ending Nigeria’s three-year streak of representation.
Why wasn’t Victor Osimhen shortlisted despite 30 goal contributions?
Ballon d’Or voting weighs team and Champions League success heavily. Osimhen’s productive campaign came mostly outside the Champions League proper, which likely counted against him relative to players from deep European runs.
When is the Ballon d’Or ceremony?
France Football typically holds the ceremony in late autumn, with the winner usually announced in October or November, following the shortlist reveal.
Could Osimhen or Lookman feature on the 2027 shortlist?
It’s entirely possible. Both are set for prominent roles in this season’s Champions League and Nigeria’s AFCON 2027 qualifying campaign — strong showings in either would strengthen their case.
For more on how Nigeria’s biggest stars are shaping up this season, see our coverage of Nigerians in this season’s UEFA competitions and the latest on the Super Eagles’ AFCON 2027 qualifiers.
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