Ballon d’Or Glory Beckons: Finidi, Oshoala, Osimhen Lead Nigeria’s Star-Studded Shortlist

For decades, the Ballon d’Or has remained football’s most prestigious individual honour — a global prize reserved for the finest players in the sport.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Though European and South American stars have traditionally dominated the award, Nigeria has consistently found its way into the spotlight, from the golden generation of the 1990s to today’s rising icons like Victor Osimhen and Asisat Oshoala.

At the 69th Ballon d’Or ceremony, scheduled for Monday, September 22, 2025, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, Nigeria will once again take centre stage with two historic nominees.

• Chiamaka Nnadozie – shortlisted for the Women’s Yashin Trophy (Best Goalkeeper), becoming the first African goalkeeper ever nominated in this category.

• Justine Madugu – nominated for the Women’s Best Coach (Johan Cruyff Trophy) after guiding the Super Falcons to WAFCON triumph and earning the Best Coach of the Tournament award.

Nigeria’s Historic Ballon d’Or Moments

Nigeria’s relationship with the Ballon d’Or dates back to the mid-1990s, when the prize was opened to players outside Europe. Key highlights include:

• Finidi George (1995, 21st place) – earned six votes after winning the Champions League with Ajax.

• Daniel Amokachi (1995, nominee) – recognised for his FA Cup heroics with Everton.

• Austin “Jay-Jay” Okocha (1995, nominee) – celebrated for his brilliance at Eintracht Frankfurt and with Nigeria.

• Nwankwo Kanu (1996, 11th; 1999, 23rd) – Nigeria’s Olympic hero achieved the nation’s best finish at the time.

• Victor Ikpeba (1997, 32nd) – the “Prince of Monaco” was rewarded for his Ligue 1 exploits.

• Sunday Oliseh (1998, nominee) – shortlisted after shining for Ajax and at the World Cup.

• Asisat Oshoala (2022, 16th; 2023, 20th) – broke barriers as the first Nigerian woman nominated for the Ballon d’Or Féminin with Barcelona Femeni.

• Victor Osimhen (2023, 8th) – made history with the highest-ever finish for a Nigerian male, following his Serie A-winning campaign with Napoli.

• Ademola Lookman (2024, nominee) – earned recognition after his Europa League hat-trick in the final and a brilliant AFCON run.

For years, Kanu’s 11th-place finish in 1996 stood as Nigeria’s benchmark until Osimhen’s record-breaking top-eight placement in 2023 reignited belief that a Nigerian could one day lift the trophy.

On the women’s front, Oshoala’s back-to-back nominations firmly established Nigeria’s place among football’s elite, even if the top 10 has remained elusive.

Now, with Nnadozie’s groundbreaking goalkeeping nomination and Madugu’s coaching recognition, Nigeria’s influence on world football’s grandest individual stage continues to grow.

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