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France Football has officially unveiled the 30 players in contention for the 2026 Men’s Ballon d’Or, with Nigeria’s marquee forwards Victor Osimhen and Ademola Lookman missing from the shortlist.
The performances of players, coaches and clubs between August 3, 2025, and July 19, 2026, including those at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, are taken into consideration.
Osimhen and Lookman were among the top four scorers at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, combining to account for seven of the Super Eagles’ 14 goals during the tournament.
However, their hopes of earning a Ballon d’Or nomination were dealt a major blow by Nigeria’s failure to qualify for this summer’s World Cup.
At club level, Osimhen recorded 30 goal contributions across all competitions during the 2025-26 season, while Lookman finished the campaign with 12 goals and six assists.
Osimhen remains the first Nigerian footballer to break into the Ballon d’Or top 10, achieving the feat in 2023 when he finished eighth, while Lookman secured 14th place in the 2024 rankings.
Among the 30 nominees for the 2026 Men’s Ballon d’Or are Achraf Hakimi of Paris Saint-Germain and Sadio Mané of Al-Nassr.
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled for Monday, October 26, and will be held in London
