Nigerians Criticise Italian Journalist for Excluding Lookman From Ballon d’Or Vote

• France Football has recently released the voting breakdown for the recently held 2024 Ballon d'Or award
• Marquee Atalanta forward, Ademola Lookman, who was the only African nominated for the award finished an impressive 14th on the final rankings
• Nigerians have taken to social media to criticise Italian Journalist, Paolo Condo, for not voting Lookman despite plying his trade in Italy

France Football's recent announcement of the final 2024 Ballon d'Or voting breakdown continues to cause a stir among many fans and football stakeholders.

The 2024 award, which has been met with strong criticism—especially after Real Madrid's Vinicius Junior was not named the winner—appears to be attracting a fresh wave of backlash following the release of the voting breakdown.

Several prestigious football journalists voted on behalf of their countries; however, among the numerous journalists who voted, one vote drawing significant reactions is that of Italian journalist Paolo Condo, who omitted Ademola Lookman from his top 10 best players list.

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As shared by France Football, the 66-year-old journalist voted for Rodrigo Hernandez in first place, followed by Vinicius Junior, with Jude Bellingham in third and Lautaro Martinez in fourth.

One notable aspect of his list was his clear omission of Lookman.

This surprising decision by the veteran journalist has since triggered a wave of reactions on social media, with Nigerian fans criticising the 66-year-old for excluding Lookman from his top 10.

Many point out that, despite Lookman playing in Italy, the Sky Sports journalist did not consider the Nigerian worthy of a spot in his top 10.

Nigerians slam Italian journalist for not voting Lookman

@SaintDeeCFC subtly noted:

"He plays in Italian Serie A, yet there’s no vote for him."

@OkpongeteNdy reacted with frustration:

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"Zero from Italy. Not surprised."

@LA_Akinsanya, also disappointed, expressed:

"@Atalanta_BC, it's disappointing that @Alookman_'s impressive performances went unrecognised by Italian journalists despite thrilling your fans."

@Moodaskeed, in disbelief, shared:

"Is it just me, or is there really no vote from Italy?"

Lookman tipped to win CAF Award

Legit.ng earlier reported that Atalanta manager, Gian Piero Gasperini, tipped Lookman to win the award 2025 CAF Player of the Year Award.

The 66-year-old Italian manager expressed his support for Lookman as the most deserving candidate for the award. The UEFA Europa League-winning coach highlighted the Nigerian forward's impressive career progress, suggesting it sets him apart as a standout contender.

Source: Legit.ng