- Victor Osimhen holds the Nigerian male record at the Ballon d'Or after finishing eighth in the 2023 rankings
- Nwankwo Kanu, Finidi George and Ademola Lookman are among other Super Eagles stars who earned nominations
- Asisat Oshoala is the only Nigerian woman on the list, having received nominations in both 2022 and 2023
Nigeria has produced some of Africa's finest footballers across generations, and a select group of Super Eagles and Super Falcons stars have earned recognition on football's most prestigious individual stage, the Ballon d'Or.
France Football opened the award to non-European players at European clubs in 1995, giving Nigerian talent a path onto the global shortlist.
Source: Getty Images
Since then, nine Nigerian footballers have received nominations, with their finishes ranging from landmark top-10 results to unranked appearances.
Nigeria's best Ballon d'Or finishes
Victor Osimhen leads all Nigerian men with an eighth-place finish at the 2023 Ballon d'Or, Sports Ration reports.
That season, the striker scored 31 goals across all competitions as Napoli claimed their first Serie A title in 33 years.
He also became the first African player to win the Italian top flight's golden boot and was named the league's best striker.
His placing made him the first Nigerian man to break into the top 10. Notably, Osimhen did not receive a nomination for the 2025 edition despite consistent displays for Galatasaray.
Nwankwo Kanu is the only Nigerian man to appear twice in the final rankings.
The former Arsenal forward finished 11th in 1996 after captaining Nigeria to Olympic gold in Atlanta and enjoying domestic and continental success with Ajax.
He returned to the list in 1999, finishing 23rd while at Arsenal, the same year he claimed his second African Footballer of the Year honour.
Ademola Lookman, who scored a hat-trick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen to hand Atalanta their first major European trophy, finished 14th at the 2024 Ballon d'Or, Independent Newspaper reports.
His performance in that final alone reshaped perceptions of his standing in world football.
Finidi George placed 21st in 1995 as part of the Ajax squad that won the UEFA Champions League that year, making him one of the earliest Nigerian players to attract serious global attention.
Victor Ikpeba, nicknamed the Prince of Monaco, came in 32nd in 1997 following a prolific run of goals in the French top flight.
He also won the African Footballer of the Year award that year.
Nominees without a ranked finish
Austin Okocha received nominations in 1995 and 1996 during his time at Eintracht Frankfurt and Fenerbahce, respectively, but did not accumulate enough votes to register a final ranking in either year despite winning the 1994 Africa Cup of Nations and the 1996 Olympic gold medal with Nigeria.
Daniel Amokachi earned a nomination in 1995 based largely on his performances for Everton and the Super Eagles, while Sunday Oliseh was shortlisted in 1998 following his long-range goal against Spain at the World Cup in France and his domestic success with Ajax. Neither secured a recorded ranking.
Asisat Oshoala stands alone as the only Nigerian woman on the list.
The Barcelona forward finished 16th in 2022 and 20th in 2023, with the latter coming after she led the Super Falcons through an unbeaten group stage at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.
Okocha picks his choice for 2026 Ballon d'Or
Legit,ng previously reported about Jay-Jay Okocha’s picks for the 2026 Ballon d’Or and the Champions League, including his prediction that Kylian Mbappé deserves football’s top individual award.
Okocha made his call despite a strong field featuring Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and several PSG stars.
Source: Legit.ng