Ademola Lookman, the Atalanta forward and Nigeria international, has achieved a significant career milestone, finishing in 14th place in the 2024 Ballon d’Or rankings.
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As the only representative from both Atalanta and Nigeria in this year’s 30-player shortlist, Lookman also emerged as the second-highest ranked Serie A player, positioned just behind Inter’s Lautaro Martinez.
He notably outranked prominent Serie A names, including Hakan Calhanoglu, and Roma’s Artem Dovbyk and Mats Hummels.
Lookman’s extraordinary season saw him etch his name into European football history when he delivered an outstanding hat-trick in the Europa League final last May, a feat that handed Bayer Leverkusen their first and only loss of the season.
This accomplishment placed Lookman among an elite group of players as one of only four ever to score a hat-trick in a major European final and the only to achieve this in a Europa League final.
Earlier in the year, Lookman was instrumental in Nigeria’s journey to the Africa Cup of Nations final, where the Super Eagles narrowly missed the title, falling to hosts Ivory Coast.
This year has underscored Lookman’s exceptional talents, making him a standout figure in both European and international football.
