Nigerian Players Absent as 2026 Ballon d’Or Winner Emerges Today

Nigeria will have no representation at the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony as the world’s best footballers gather at the London Palladium on Monday.

The 70th edition of the awards will begin at 8 pm in London (9 pm Nigerian time) with Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe among the leading contenders for the men’s prize.

For the first time in three years, no Nigerian has been nominated in the men’s or women’s categories or any of the other award categories.

Super Eagles stars Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman are among the notable absentees despite their impressive performances over the past year.

Osimhen and Lookman scored seven of Nigeria’s 14 goals at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. Osimhen also recorded 30 goal contributions across all competitions during the 2025/26 season while Lookman registered 12 goals and six assists.

However, Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup could have affected their chances, as the Ballon d’Or assessment period ran from August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026, the date of the World Cup final.

Osimhen finished eighth in the 2023 edition after helping Napoli win the Serie A title, while Lookman placed 14th in 2024 following his hat-trick in Atalanta’s Europa League final victory over Bayer Leverkusen.

Last year, Nigeria had representation through Super Falcons coach Justine Madugu and goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie, who were nominated for the Women’s Team Coach of the Year and Yashin Trophy awards, respectively. Both finished fourth in their categories.

Senegal forward Sadio Mané and Achraf Hakimi of Morocco are the only African representatives on the shortlist.

Paris Saint-Germain lead the nominations with 10 players, including defending champion Ousmane Dembele, Achraf Hakimi and Vitinha. Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona and Arsenal also have nominees.

Kane is among the favourites after leading England to third place at the World Cup. A victory would make him the first Englishman to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001.

Yamal who helped Spain win the World Cup is also a strong contender after finishing runner-up to Dembele last year. Meanwhile, Mbappe is nominated despite failing to win a major trophy having claimed top-scorer honours in La Liga, the Champions League and the World Cup.

The winner will be determined by journalists from the top 100 countries in the FIFA men’s rankings based on individual performances, team achievements, sportsmanship and fair play.

For Nigerian football fans, the absence of local stars marks a break from recent years when Osimhen, Lookman and representatives of the Super Falcons featured among the nominees.