Osimhen and Lookman can return to Ballon d’Or contention
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Punch
Former Nigeria defender Sam Sodje says Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman could return to the Ballon d’Or’s leading contenders if they become more consistent and their teams achieve better results. He also points to the performances of Nigeria’s national team and clubs, after Harry Kane won the award on 26 October 2026, in comments reported by Africafoot and Punch.
Former Nigeria defender Sam Sodje says Victor Osimhen, a Galatasaray striker, and Ademola Lookman, a Nigeria forward, could return to contention for the Ballon d’Or if they become more consistent and their clubs and the Nigeria national team achieve better results. He spoke after Harry Kane received the 2026 award on 26 October, Punch reports.
No Nigerian was among this year’s 30 nominees. Osimhen finished eighth in 2023, the highest ranking ever achieved by a Nigerian player, while Lookman was 14th in 2024. Sodje told Africafoot that team performances and players’ form also counted in the assessment. He noted in particular that Galatasaray had not ranked among the top clubs in the Champions League.
Osimhen recorded 30 goals and assists in all competitions during the 2025-2026 season, while Lookman scored 12 goals and provided six assists. Between them, they scored seven of Nigeria’s 14 goals at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. The Ballon d’Or assessment period ran from 3 August 2025 to 19 July 2026; Nigeria did not qualify for the World Cup, where performances carry considerable weight in the voting. Liberia’s George Weah remains the only African to have won the award, in 1995.
