Victor Osimhen Achieves Historic Eighth Place in Ballon d’Or

Victor Osimhen ranked eighth in the 2023 Ballon d’Or voting, marking the highest position for a Nigerian in the award's history. He earned 24 points after a stellar season with Napoli, where he helped the team secure its first Serie A title in 33 years.

Osimhen was the highest-placed African player on the 2023 list, surpassing Egypt's Mohamed Salah, who finished 11th. He became the first Napoli player to enter the top 10 of the Ballon d’Or and broke multiple records, including becoming the highest-scoring African in a single Serie A season with 26 goals, surpassing Samuel Eto’o's previous record of 21 goals.

Osimhen also won the Serie A Player of the Year award and the 2023 CAF Player of the Year Award, making him the first African to win the Italian Footballers’ Association’s Player of the Year award. Nwankwo Kanu and Ademola Lookman are also mentioned for their past achievements, but Osimhen's accomplishments in 2023 stand out.