File: Lookman and Osimhen
Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman have missed out on the 2026 Ballon d’Or, with France Football’s newly released 30-man shortlist ending a three-year run in which Nigerian footballers, coaches and administrators had found some form of recognition on world football’s most prestigious individual honours list.
The Nigeria duo, who between them accounted for seven of the Super Eagles’ 14 goals at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations and ranked among the tournament’s top four scorers, were widely expected by home fans to feature prominently in the conversation.
Their absence, according to the criteria published by France Football, comes down largely to Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a tournament whose performances fall squarely within the assessment window of August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026.
Osimhen finished the 2025/26 season with 30 goal contributions across all competitions, a return that would ordinarily place him in contention for individual honours, while Lookman managed 12 goals and six assists in the same period.
