Victor Osimhen And Asisat Oshoala Makes History, After Being Nominated For The 2023 Ballon d'Or Awards

The Nominations for the Ballon d’Or award were released earlier today with several top players making the list.

Nigeria makes history as the first African country to have both a male and female Ballon d’Or nominees at the same time.

No player from Nigeria or an African country has ever achieved this feat since the prestigious awards' inception in 1999.

Victor Osimhen who plays for Italian club side Napoli and the Super Eagles of Nigeria, and Asisat Oshoala who plays for Spanish gaints Barcelona Femení and the Super Falcons both made the award list.

Osimhen enjoyed a prolific campaign last season for Napoli helping them secure their first Scudetto title in 30 years.

The 24-year-old striker scored 26 goals in 32 league appearances, and also netted five times in the UEFA Champions League for the Partenopei, earning him a spot as the first Nigerian to be nominated for the award.

He has also started the new season on a good note for Rudi Garcia’s side with three goals from three games.

Asisat Oshoala on the other hand, also made it to the list of the 2023 Ballon d’Or women’s award.

This is the second consecutive year that she would be nominated for the award, finishing in 16th place last year.

Her Barcelona teammate, Alexia Putellas, won the award in 2022.

The 28-year-old forward, played a pivotal role  helped her team win the 2022/2023 Women's Primera Division in Spain, scoring 26 goals and providing six assists in all competitions, and also the UEFA Women’s Champions League success last season.

Oshoala was also FC Barcelona Femeni's highest goal scorer for the 2022/2023 season

She is the only African female player, who made the shortlist, having won the CAF Women’s Player of the Year Award for a record five times. 

The Ballon d’Or award ceremony is set to take place at the Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on October 30, 2023.