Three Nigerian footballers have been recognized as nominees across several categories for the prestigious 2024 FIFA Best awards. Ademola Lookman, William Troost-Ekong, and Asisat Oshoala all earned nominations, a testament to the growing global influence and talent of Nigerian players.
Lookman, who finished 14th in the 2024 Ballon d’Or voting, has been shortlisted for the Best Attacker award. He will compete against the likes of Vinicius Junior, Lamine Yamal, Bukayo Saka, Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo for the honor.
Defender William Troost-Ekong has been nominated for the Best Defender category. He will face off against other top defenders such as Dani Carvajal, Antonio Rüdiger, William Saliba, Achraf Hakimi, Manuel Akanji, and Jonathan Tah.
In the women’s categories, striker Asisat Oshoala has been nominated for the newly introduced Marta Award, which recognizes the best goal in women’s football. Oshoala’s acrobatic strike for Barcelona Femeni against Benfica in the 2023 UEFA Women’s Champions League caught the attention of the selection committee..
The 2024 FIFA Best awards will feature equal weighting between fan votes and an expert panel’s selections. Fans can cast their votes on the FIFA website until December 10, 2024, leading up to the announcement of the winners.
