- Nigerian striker, Victor Osimhen on Monday, October 30, 2023, made history as the first Nigerian and Napoli player to make the top ten of the Ballon d’Or rankings.
The Napoli forward had a fantastic 2022/2023 season leading Napoli to win their first Serie A title in 33 years.
Osimhen was also instrumental as Napoli reached the Champions League quarter-finals in the 2022/2023 season.
Osimhen netted five times in six Champions League games last season and individual achievements, combined with Napoli’s results have allowed the 24-year-old to earn a spot in the top 10 of this year’s Ballon d’Or.
Victor Osimhen was ranked 8th in the race which is the highest by any African player in the award.
The next African player after Osimhen is Egyptian and Liverpool star, Mohammed Salah who was crucial for Liverpool.
Salah was ranked 11th in the rankings.
For his heroics that engineered Morocco’s finish at the last 8th of the 2022 World Cup, Yassine Bounou finished 13th. He was behind Robert Lewandowski.
The last African player to have finished in the top thirty of the 2023 Ballon d’Or is Cameroonian goalkeeper, Andre Onana.
Onana was rewarded for his crucial role in Napoli’s run to the Champions League final which they lost to Manchester City.
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1. Lionel Messi
2. Erling Haaland
3. Kylian Mbappé
4. Kevin De Bruyne
5. Rodri
6. Vinicius Jr.
7. Julián Álvarez
8. Victor Osimhen
9. Bernardo Silva
10. Luka Modric
11. Mohamed Salah
12. Robert Lewandowski
13. Yassine Bounou
14. Ilkay Gündogan
15. Emiliano Martinez
6. Karim Benzema
17. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
18. Jude Bellingham
19. Harry Kane
20. Lautaro Martínez
21. Antoine Griezmann
22. Kim Min-Jae
23. André Onana
24. Bukayo Saka
25. Josko Gvardiol
26. Jamal Musiala
27. Nicolo Barella
28. Martin Odeggard
29. Randal Kolo Muani
30. Ruben Dias