Ballon d’Or: Victor Osimhen sets record with nomination at awards

Victor Osimhen, a professional and famous footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Napoli and the Nigeria national team, has created history by becoming the first Nigerian to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or awards since Nwankwo Kanu in 1999.

Ballon d’Or is an annual football award event hosted by French news magazine France Football. During the event, awards are presented to the best footballers.

Victor Osimhen is set to compete with Lionel Messi, one of the most famous Argentine professional footballers, and Erling Haaland, a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Premier League club Manchester City and the Norway national team, for this year’s Ballon d’Or award.

Victor Osimhen helped Nigeria to secure a spot at the Africa Cup of Nations, an international men’s association football competition in Africa. He was also the Serie A club Napoli’s highest goal scorer with 26 goals. 

Nigeria creates history

Nigeria has also created history by becoming the first African country to have male and female Ballon d’Or nominees at the same time. Asisat Oshoala, a professional female footballer who plays as a striker for Spanish Liga F club FC Barcelona and the Nigeria women’s national team, also made to the award list. 

Asisat Oshoala has been nominated for 2023 Ballon d’Or women’s awards. She is one of the most famous Nigerian female footballers. 

She helped her team win the 2022/2023 Women’s Primera Division in Spain. She was also FC Barcelona Femeni’s highest goal scorer during the 2022/2023 season.

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2023 Ballon d’Or nominees

• Josko Gvardiol, a Croatian professional footballer
• Jamal Musiala, a German professional footballer
• Antoine Griezmann, a French footballer
• Lionel Messi, an Argentine professional footballer
• Lautaro Martinez, an Argentine professional footballer
• Andre Onana, a Cameroonian professional footballer
• Kevin De Bruyne, a Belgian professional footballer
• Jude Bellingham, an English professional footballer
• Randal Kolo Muani, a French footballer
• Bernardo Silva, a Portuguese professional footballer
• Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, a Georgian professional footballer
• Nicolo Barella, an Italian professional footballer
• Emi Martinez, an Argentine professional footballer
• Ruben Dias, a Portuguese professional footballer
• Erling Haaland, a Norwegian footballer
• Karim Benzema, a French footballer
• Mohamed Salah, an Egyptian footballer
• Bukayo Saka, an English footballer
• Martin Odegaard, a Norwegian professional footballer
• Ilkay Gundogan, a German footballer
• Yassine Bounou, a Moroccan football goalkeeper
• Julian Alvarez, an Argentine footballer
• Vinicius Junior, a Brazilian footballer
• Rodri, a Spanish footballer
• Robert Lewandowski, a Polish footballer
• Kim Min-jae, a South Korean footballer
• Luka Modric, a Croatian footballer
• Kylian Mbappe, a French footballer
• Victor Osimhen, a Nigerian footballer
• Harry Kane, English footballer