September 6, (THEWILL) – Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen, has been nominated for the prestigious Ballon d’Or award, alongside 29 other top footballers including Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi.
The Napoli number nine is up against stiff competition, with Messi, Haaland and Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe being top favourites for the accolade. However, Osimhen’s inclusion on the shortlist is well-deserved following his integral role in helping Napoli clinch their first Serie A title in over three decades last season.
Osimhen was the league’s top scorer with 26 goals, breaking the record for most goals by an African player in a single Serie A season. His prolific goal tally earned him the Paolo Rossi Award for the division’s leading scorer, the first time in over 120 years that an African will claim it, as well as Serie A’s Best Striker award.
The Nigerian striker also set the record for most goals scored by an African player across Serie A history. He will know if that is enough to win the Ballon d’Or when the winner of the 2022 edition is announced on 30 October, following votes cast by football journalists.
The long list of Ballon d’Or nominees, their clubs and countries include:
André Onana – Manchester United/Cameroon
Josko Gvardiol – Manchester City/Croatia
Karim Benzema – Al Ittihad
Jamal Musiala – Bayern Munich/Germany
Mohamed Salah – Liverpool/Egypt
Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid/England
Bukayo Saka – Arsenal/England
Randal Kolo Muani – Paris Saint-Germain/France
Kevin De Bruyne – Manchester City/Belgium
Bernardo Silva – Manchester City/Portugal
Emiliano Martínez – Aston Villa/Argentina
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – Napoli/Georgia
Rúben Dias – Manchester City/Portugal
Nicolo Barella – Inter Milan/Italy
Erling Haaland – Manchester City/Norway
Yassine Bounou – Al Hilal/Morocco
Martin Ødegaard – Arsenal/Norway
Julián Álvarez – Manchester City/Argentina
Ilkay Gündogan – Barcelona/Germany
Vinícius Júnior – Real Madrid/Brazil
Lionel Messi – Inter Miami/Argentina
Rodri – Manchester City/Spain
Lautaro Martínez – Inter Milan/Argentina
Antoine Griezmann – Atletico Madrid/France
Robert Lewandowski – Barcelona/Poland
Kylian Mbappé – Paris Saint-Germain/France
Kim Min-jae – Napoli/South Korea
Victor Osimhen – Napoli/Nigeria
Luka Modric – Real Madrid/Croatia
Harry Kane – Bayern Munich/England
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
