Paris, France – Atalanta’s Ademola Lookman placed 14th in the 2024 Ballon d’Or rankings at the ceremony held at Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, where Manchester City’s Rodri Hernández took home the coveted award. Lookman was the only African nominee in the 30-man shortlist, released by France Football, marking a milestone for the Nigerian forward.
Reflecting on his achievement, Lookman told BBC Sport Africa, “It’s special being on the list and even more special being the only African. We have achieved great things this year, with club and country. To be recognised as one of the contenders is a great achievement.” Lookman’s impressive season included 11 goals and seven assists in 31 Serie A games, alongside a historic hat-trick that secured Atalanta’s first-ever Europa League trophy and three goals for Nigeria, helping the team reach the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final.
The final rankings saw Rodri at the top, followed by Kylian Mbappe, Lautaro Martinez, Lamine Yamal, Toni Kroos, and Harry Kane completing the top 10. Phil Foden, Florian Wirtz, and Dani Olmo ranked just above Lookman, with Nico Williams, Granit Xhaka, Federico Valverde, Emiliano Martinez, and Martin Odegaard following.
In other awards, Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmati won the women’s Ballon d’Or, and 17-year-old Lamine Yamal received the Kopa Trophy for best young player. Spain’s Jennifer Hermoso was awarded the Socrates Award for humanitarian work. Additional honors included Emiliano Martinez winning the Yachine Trophy (best goalkeeper), while Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe jointly received the Gerd Muller Trophy (top scorers). Emma Hayes and Carlo Ancelotti were named Women’s and Men’s Coaches of the Year, respectively. Real Madrid and Barcelona were celebrated as the men’s and women’s clubs of the year.
