- Lookman beats Messi, Ronaldo in The Guardian‘s 2024 best male footballers’ ranking
Still basking in the euphoria of his emergence as Africa’s best footballer for 2024, The Guardian has selected Atalanta and Super Eagles’ striker, Ademola Lookman, among the best 100 footballers in the world for 2024.
He is ranked 22nd, outshining global brands like Lionel Messi, Rodrygo and Cristiano Ronaldo. Real Madrid’s Rodrygo was placed 31st, Messi, 27th and Ronaldo 42nd. But Rodri stays at the peak of the pack.
Justifying Lookman’s ranking, The Guardian remarked, “The only African player nominated for the Ballon d’Or, Lookman finished 14th in the voting and celebrated by firing his club to the top of Serie A in December. Little wonder 141 of our 197 judges included him on their top 40 ballots.”
Beyond that, Lookman played a critical part in his club, Atalanta’s historic Europa League campaign, scoring a hat trick against Bayer Leverkusen to claim their first-ever European title.
The Guardian recalled Lookman’s outstanding performances throughout the year, and particularly noted his contributions towards Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) campaign, where he scored a treble in the knockout stages.
