Super Eagles duo Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman are among the players in contention for the 2024 Men’s World Best Player award, as the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) unveils a 30-man shortlist, according to Daily Post on X.
Notably, no other African players, including Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Bayer Leverkusen’s Victor Boniface, or Real Madrid’s Brahim Díaz, were considered worthy of a nomination this year.
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Lookman, Osimhen to follow in Messi, Haaland footsteps
Past recipients of this highly regarded accolade include football legends such as Marco Van Basten, Lothar Matthäus, Robert Lewandowski, Lionel Messi, and last year’s winner, Erling Haaland.
Lookman has been a standout performer for Atalanta since joining from RB Leipzig, winning the club’s Player of the Season award for two consecutive years.
The Charlton Athletic academy graduate delivered a match-winning hat-trick in the 2024 Europa League final, ending Bayer Leverkusen’s remarkable 51-game unbeaten streak.
Lookman, Osimhen make 30-man shortlist for 2024 IFFHS award https://t.co/iBK85Kj1uD pic.twitter.com/ZkwxFMpRCZ
— Daily Post Nigeria (@DailyPostNGR) October 24, 2024
On the international stage, Osimhen and Lookman played pivotal roles in Nigeria’s journey to the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations final, with the duo contributing a combined total of four goals and four assists.
Among the frontrunners for this year’s award are Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior, Manchester City’s Rodri and Erling Haaland, and Barcelona’s rising stars Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo.
The shortlist also features Kylian Mbappe, Phil Foden, Bukayo Saka, Jamal Musiala, Florian Wirtz, Declan Rice, Martin Ødegaard, Harry Kane, Cole Palmer, William Saliba, Ruben Dias, Nico Williams, and Toni Kroos.
Rounding out the nominees are Dani Carvajal, Fabian Ruiz, Cody Gakpo, Federico Valverde, Rodrygo, Lautaro Martínez, James Rodríguez, Akram Afif, and Alphonso Davies.
