2026 Ballon d’Or: Nigerian players, coaches snubbed as nominees are revealed
There were no Nigerian players, coaches or teams in the Ballon d’Or nominee shortlists released on Tuesday. Last year, Super Falcon’s Chiamaka Nnadozie made the cut for the Women’s Yachine Trophy (Goalkeeper of the Year). The coach of the team, Justine Madugu, was also nominated for the Women’s Team Coach of the Year. This came a […] 2026 Ballon d’Or: Nigerian players, coaches snubbed as nominees…
The Ballon d’Or nominee shortlists for 2026 were unveiled on Tuesday, and there was no representation from Nigeria in either the player or coach categories. The Nigerian women's football team, the Super Falcons, had previously made significant strides, with goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie being recognized as the Women’s Yachine Trophy winner for Goalkeeper of the Year last year.
Their coach, Justine Madugu, also received recognition as the Women’s Team Coach of the Year. This came after Nigeria achieved a record-extending 10th Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) title in Morocco the previous year.
However, in the current year under review, Nigeria's senior men's and women's teams were unable to qualify for the FIFA World Cups. The only Nigerian footballer to make an appearance in the top 10 of the men’s Ballon d’Or standings this year was Galatasaray striker Victor Osimhen, who secured the eighth position. In 2024, Ademola Lookman, also from Nigeria, achieved a notable feat by finishing 14th in the voting, following his remarkable hat-trick in Atalanta’s Europa League final triumph.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Post Nigeria's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
