Osimhen, Oshoala bag 2023 Ballon d’Or nominations
Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen and Super Falcons forward Asisat Oshoala have both been nominated for the 2023 Ballon d’Or award.
The nominees for the award was revealed yesterday, making it the first time two Nigerians will make the cut.
Osimhen had a remarking 2022/23 season winning the Italian Serie A for Napoli – there first in 30 years.
The Nigeria striker also emerged the league’s highest highest goal scorer, surpassing Liberia’s legend George Weah as the highest scoring African in Italy on his way to clinching the award.
The other nominees for the 2023 Ballon d’Or include Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Robert Lewandowski, Erling Halland, Mohamed Salah, and Bukayo Saka among others,
Oshoala has also been in an impressive form for Barcelona Femeni helping them to a historic treble last season with the climax being the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
The 28-year-old scored 21 goals in 28 appearances for Barcelona last season.
She also had a fantastic year with the the Super Falcons, becoming the first African to score in three World Cups at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The Women’s World Cup winner Aitana Bonmati, the competition’s Golden Boot winner Hinata Miyazawa, and Colombian teenager Linda Caicedo all made the nomination list with Oshoala.
Full list of men’s Ballon d’Or nominees:
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
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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
