Only one African footballer has ever been named a Ballon d’Or winner.
In 1995, George Weah won the prize thanks to his displays for Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan.
The Liberian legend also won the African Footballer of the Year three times and is widely considered one of the greatest strikers of all time.
Since then, no player from the continent has come top of the Ballon d’Or voting.
Sadio Mane came closest to winning in 2022 when he finished in second place.
The Senegalese winger, who was playing for Liverpool at the time, scored 23 goals in 51 appearances, but he was instrumental in almost helping the club to Champions League success.
This year, Ademola Lookman is in fact the only African included in the 30-man shortlist.
Lookman was given the nod after an impressive season with Atalanta, where he won the UEFA Europa League, scoring a hat-trick in the final against Bayer Leverkusen.
He was also named Atalanta’s Player of the Year, finishing the campaign with 11 goals and seven assists in 31 league outings.
Lookman also reached the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) final with the Super Eagles of Nigeria, where they lost to host nation Ivory Coast.
Will this be enough for Lookman to end a 29-year wait?
“I think it’s almost unimaginable to see Ademola Lookman win the Ballon d’Or this year,” Wale Agbede, the Head of Sports at Plus TV said.
Peoplesmind
