Ademola Lookman, who recently clinched the CAF Player of the Year award, was overlooked by his own national coach and captain in the voting for the FIFA The Best Player of the Year accolade.
Both Augustine Eguavoen, the head coach of Nigeria’s Super Eagles, and captain William Troost-Ekong failed to include Lookman in their top three selections.
Despite Lookman’s achievement on Monday, the following day brought disappointment as he received zero votes in the FIFA Awards.
The prestigious honor was claimed by Vinicius Junior of Real Madrid, with Rodri from Manchester City finishing in second place after winning the Ballon d’Or, and Jude Bellingham securing third.
The FIFA Awards are determined through a voting process involving players, coaches, and journalists from all federations affiliated with FIFA.
Each voter is permitted to select three nominees, allocating points based on their rankings: five points for first, three for second, and one for third.
Notably, Nigeria had three representatives in the voting panel, including Eguavoen, Troost-Ekong, and journalist Oluwashina Okeleji.
However, Lookman’s absence from their votes was striking. Eguavoen chose Lionel Messi as his top pick, followed by Vinicius Junior and Rodri.
Troost-Ekong favored Bellingham, naming Vinicius Junior and Rodri in his subsequent picks. Okeleji also opted for Vinicius Junior as his first choice, placing Rodri and Bellingham in second and third, respectively.
While every player featured in the top eleven received votes from their respective nations, Lookman can still find solace in his recent recognition as CAF Player of the Year.
