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Nigeria will have no representative among this year’s Ballon d’Or nominees as the world’s leading footballers gather in London on Monday for the presentation of football’s most prestigious individual awards.
The 70th edition of the ceremony will take place at the London Palladium, marking the first time the event is being hosted outside Paris. The programme is scheduled to begin at 8pm local time, corresponding to 9pm in Nigeria.
Among the leading contenders for the men’s award are England striker Harry Kane, Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe. The trio are expected to attract considerable attention as the football world awaits the announcement of the winner.
Nigeria’s absence is particularly notable following the impressive performances of Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman during the 2025/26 season. Despite their contributions at club and international levels, neither player secured a place on the final shortlist.
Osimhen recorded 30 goal contributions across competitions during the campaign, while Lookman registered 12 goals and six assists. Both players also played important roles for the Super Eagles at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, where they combined for seven of Nigeria’s 14 goals.
However, Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup is considered a major setback in the country’s pursuit of recognition at the global awards. The assessment period for this year’s honours covered performances between August 3, 2025, and July 19, 2026.
The omission also ends Nigeria’s three-year run of representation at the awards. Osimhen finished eighth in 2023 following Napoli’s Serie A triumph, while Lookman secured 14th position in 2024 after helping Atalanta win the Europa League.
Last year, Nigeria’s presence came through the women’s game, with Super Falcons coach Justine Madugu and goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie both receiving nominations after the country’s victory at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations. They eventually finished fourth in their respective categories.
Paris Saint-Germain have a strong presence on this year’s men’s shortlist, alongside players from Real Madrid, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Arsenal. Senegalese forward Sadio Mane is the only African player on the men’s list.
Kane could become the first Englishman to win the men’s award since Michael Owen claimed the honour in 2001. Yamal, meanwhile, is seeking to build on his second-place finish last year, while Mbappe remains among the leading challengers.
The winners will be determined by an international panel of journalists, who assess individual performances, team achievements and players’ conduct on and off the pitch.
For Nigerian football fans, the ceremony presents an opportunity to assess the country’s standing among the world’s elite players, following a period in which Osimhen and Lookman helped restore Nigeria’s visibility on the international awards stage.
