The full list for one of the most prestigious football awards, Ballon d’Or has been released for the year 2023 and Nigeria’s own Victor Osimhen is on the list.
The Ballon d’Or, often regarded as the sport’s most prestigious honor, is given to the best footballer from the previous season.
Gabriel Hanot, a former France footballer and journalist, created the Ballon d’Or award, which was first presented in 1956.
Osimhen scored 25 league goals last season, beating out Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez and AC Milan’s Rafael Leao to be named Serie A’s Best Striker.
He also assisted the club in reaching the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals and securing a place to the postponed 2023 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
The achievement made the 24-year-old footballer the first African to top the Serie A scorers’ chart.
With this performance, he also beat George Weah’s record for the most goals scored by an African in the Italian league.
Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or seven times thus far.
The winner for this year will be announced at a ceremony on October 30, 2023.
Ballon d’Or 2023 nominees
- Victor Osimhen – Napoli/Nigeria
- André Onana – Manchester United/Cameroon
- Josko Gvardiol – Manchester City/Croatia
- Karim Benzema – Al Ittihad/France
- 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
- Luka Modric – Real Madrid/Croatia
- Harry Kane – Bayern Munich/England
