2026 Ballon d’Or: Nigerian players, coaches snubbed as nominees are revealed

There were no Nigerian players, coaches or teams in the Ballon d’Or nominee shortlists released on Tuesday.

Last year, Super Falcon’s Chiamaka Nnadozie made the cut for the Women’s Yachine Trophy (Goalkeeper of the Year).

The coach of the team, Justine Madugu, was also nominated for the Women’s Team Coach of the Year.

This came a year in which the Falcons won a record-extending 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, WAFCON, title in Morocco.

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However, in the year under review, Nigeria’s senior men and women team failed to qualify for the FIFA World Cups.

Galatasaray striker, Victor Osimhen, remains the only Nigerian footballer to break into the top 10 of the men’s Ballon d’Or standings, finishing eighth.

In 2024, Ademola Lookman finished 14th in the voting, after his historic hat-trick in Atalanta’s Europa League final triumph.