Ronaldo, Osimhen, Lookman, Salah Snub Sparks Ballon d’Or Debate

The omission of several high-profile players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, Victor Osimhen, Ademola Lookman, Mohamed Salah, and others from the 30-man shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d’Or has triggered heated reactions among Nigerian football fans.

While some supporters believe the nominees reflect the players who had the strongest overall seasons, others argue that the absence of established stars from the shortlist is difficult to justify.

For Olamide Babalola, Ronaldo’s exclusion is understandable, despite the Portugal captain continuing to score regularly for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League.

Babalola argued that the 41-year-old is no longer the same player who dominated the award during his peak years, adding that his recent World Cup performance and limitations in other areas of his game had contributed to a decline in his overall influence.

“The award is about the quality and impact of a player’s overall season, not just goals,” Babalola said.

He also played down Salah’s omission, pointing to what he described as a decline in the Liverpool forward’s influence and a lack of an outstanding World Cup performance.

Osimhen’s exclusion, however, remains more contentious among Nigerian supporters.

Babalola acknowledged the striker’s status as one of Africa’s leading forwards but noted that the league in which he plays could have influenced the voting.

Rejoice Orisame described the omissions as surprising given the stature of the players involved.

“It’s somehow strange because those are really big names in the game, but their performance from last season wasn’t that good,” Orisame said.

Gilbert Ekugbe also believes Ronaldo’s exclusion is no longer as shocking as it would have been five or 10 years ago. However, he questioned whether the Portuguese star’s achievements should have been enough to earn him a place on the shortlist.

“This is his fourth consecutive Ballon d’Or omission. But I still think it’s debatable,” Ekugbe said, noting Ronaldo’s Saudi Pro League title with Al-Nassr and continued individual productivity.

He also criticised Ronaldo’s World Cup showing but suggested the forward had limited support from a Portugal side that failed to provide enough attacking impetus.

For Ekugbe, Salah’s omission is particularly difficult to understand.

“Salah has been one of the most consistently elite attackers in world football for years. If the Ballon d’Or is supposed to recognise the best individual seasons, I don’t think you should need to have won the Champions League to get into a 30-man shortlist,” he said.

He was more accepting of Osimhen’s absence, arguing that while the Nigerian remains an outstanding striker, his case was not as compelling as Salah’s.

Ekugbe also pointed to the strength of this year’s shortlist, which includes several players with impressive club and international campaigns, including Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Lionel Messi, Vinícius Júnior, Ousmane Dembélé and Lautaro Martínez.

He suggested that Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup could also have worked against Osimhen and Lookman.

For Pam Samuel, however, the exclusion of the Nigerian duo marks a significant break from recent history.

“It is frustrating that neither Victor Osimhen nor Ademola Lookman made the 30-man shortlist, breaking a three-year run of Nigerian presence on the global stage following Osimhen’s eighth-place finish in 2023 and Lookman’s in 2024,” Samuel said.

Samuel believes Nigeria’s absence from the World Cup may have contributed to the decision, arguing that the snub should concern Nigerian football.

Chijoke Emmanuel shared a similar view, saying the Super Eagles’ failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup had “heavily penalised” their leading stars.

He argued that the World Cup absence overshadowed Osimhen’s strong goalscoring contributions at club level and the players’ performances at the Africa Cup of Nations.

The debate reflects the wider difficulty of judging the Ballon d’Or, where individual statistics, team success, domestic competitions and performances on the international stage all compete for consideration.

For Nigerian fans, however, the omission of Osimhen and Lookman is particularly painful after both players had represented the country among the world’s elite in recent editions.