Napoli’s Victor Osimhen etched his name in the club’s history books, achieving an eighth-place finish in the prestigious Ballon d’Or rankings, as per football-italia.net. The Nigerian striker’s remarkable performance this season, scoring 26 goals in 32 Serie A appearances, catapulted him into the limelight and significantly propelled Napoli to their first league title in over three decades.
Not only did Osimhen’s prolific scoring lead Napoli’s domestic success, but his five goals in six Champions League matches were crucial in taking the team to the quarter-finals, marking Napoli’s deepest run in the tournament.
According to a report by The Guardian, Giuseppe Pastore notes that Osimhen’s accolade surpasses the club’s previous best set by Ruud Krol in 1980, who finished 15th. Osimhen now joins the elite ranks alongside Julian Alvarez, Kevin de Bruyne, Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, Luka Modric, Rodri, Bernardo Silva, and Vinicius Junior in this year’s top 10.
Complementing Napoli’s celebration, Osimhen’s teammate Khvicha Kvaratskhelia landed the 17th spot, while Inter Milan’s Lautaro Martinez and Nicolò Barella ranked 20th and 27th, respectively.
At the Paris ceremony, Argentine ace Lionel Messi claimed his eighth Ballon d’Or, setting a new record and moving three awards ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo of Al-Nassr. Messi’s former Paris Saint-Germain colleague, Kylian Mbappe, secured third place, while Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne finished fourth. Messi edged out Haaland in a close race for the esteemed honor.
