Ademola Lookman

Ademola Lookman is the man who wrote one of the most extraordinary chapters in European football history — a hat-trick in the 2024 UEFA Europa League Final against Bayer Leverkusen to hand Atalanta a stunning 3-0 victory. In a single night in Dublin, Lookman transformed from a talented winger into a European legend.

Born in London to Nigerian parents, Lookman chose Nigeria over England at international level and has since become one of the Super Eagles' most dangerous attackers. His pace, trickery, and clinical finishing make him a nightmare for any defender in the world.

His career had taken winding routes — Charlton, Everton, RB Leipzig, Fulham, Leicester — before Atalanta unlocked his true potential under Gian Piero Gasperini's intense, demanding system. In Bergamo he found a home and a manager who understood him completely. The Europa League triumph confirmed what the football world could already see: Lookman is elite.

In 2024, he was named the CAF African Player of the Year, cementing his status as Africa's finest footballer. For Nigeria and the Super Eagles, he is the talisman heading into the 2026 World Cup cycle.