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FULL LIST: Lookman, Saka nominated for 2024 Ballon d’Or

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Nigeria and Atalanta forward Ademola Lookman has been nominated for the 2024 Ballon d’Or award.

The organisers of the most prestigious individual award in football announced the nominees on Wednesday.

Lookman earned the nomination after scoring a stunning hat-trick for Atalanta as the Italian club ended Bayer Leverkusen’s 51-game unbeaten run and won the Europa League final 3-0 in May 2024.

Arsenal and England forward Bukayo Saka, Manchester City’s Norwegian star Erling Haaland, and England and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane are on the list as well, but there is no place for eight-time winner Lionel Messi and five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo.

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Messi, aged 37, and 39-year-old Ronaldo are out of the Ballon d’Or nominees for the first time since 2003.

Messi, who claimed the eighth Ballon d’Or of his glittering career last year, is not among the 30 contenders this time despite winning another title with Argentina at the Copa America in July.

The former Barcelona superstar, now playing club football in MLS for Inter Miami, was also missing from the nominees in 2022 when Karim Benzema took the honours.

However, he returned to win last year after leading Argentina to glory at the World Cup in Qatar.

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Brazil forward Vinicius Junior is among the favourites and is one of six members of the Madrid team that won La Liga and the Champions League last season to be nominated.

Jude Bellingham, Dani Carvajal, Toni Kroos, Antonio Ruediger, and Fede Valverde are the others, while Kylian Mbappe – who left Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) for Real Madrid over the close season – features too.

Carvajal is among the contenders from the victorious Spain team alongside Alejandro Grimaldo, Dani Olmo, Rodri, Nico Williams, and Lamine Yamal.

Xabi Alonso, who won the Bundesliga in an unbeaten season with Bayer Leverkusen, is among the favourites for best coach.

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His rivals include Real Madrid’s Carlo Ancelotti and Spain’s Luis de la Fuente.

Meanwhile, Aitana Bonmati of Barcelona and Spain will hope to retain the women’s Ballon d’Or.

Former winners Ada Hegerberg and Alexia Putellas are also nominated, along with five members of the United States’ Olympic gold medal-winning team in Sophia Smith, Mallory Swanson, Trinity Rodman, Lindsey Horanm and goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher.

The Ballon d’Or is voted for by a jury of journalists from each of the top 100 countries in FIFA’s world ranking.

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The Ballon d’Or ceremony is due to take place in Paris on October 28.

Below is the full list of the nominees:

Ballon d’Or shortlist

Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid

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Phil Foden – Man City

Ruben Dias – Man City

Federico Valverde – Real Madrid

Emiliano Martinez – Aston Villa

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Erling Haaland – Man City

Nicolas Williams – Athletic Bilbao

Granit Xhaka – Bayer Leverkusen

Artem Dovbik – Roma

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Toni Kroos – Real Madrid

Vinicius Jr – Real Madrid

Dani Olmo – RB Leipzig/Barcelona

Florian Wirtz – Bayer Leverkusen

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Martin Odegaard – Arsenal

Matts Hummels – Borussia Dortmund

Rodri – Man City

Harry Kane – Bayern Munich

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Declan Rice – Arsenal

Vitinha – PSG

Cole Palmer – Chelsea

Dani Carvajal – Real Madrid

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Lamine Yamal – Barcelona

Bukayo Saka – Arsenal

Hakan Calhanoglu – Inter Milan

William Saliba – Arsenal

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Kylian Mbappe – PSG/Real Madrid

Lautaro Martinez – Inter Milan

Ademola Lookman – Atalanta

Antonio Rudiger – Real Madrid

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Alejandro Grimaldo – Bayer Leverkusen

Lookman

Kopa Trophy shortlist

Pau Cubarsi – Barcelona

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Alejandro Garnacho – Manchester United

Arda Guler – Real Madrid

Karim Konate – RB Salzburg

Kobbie Mainoo – Manchester United

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Joao Neves – Benfica/PSG

Savinho – Girona/Man City

Mathys Tel – Bayern Munich

Lamine Yamal – Barcelona

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Warren Zaire-Emery – PSG

Men’s Coach of the Year shortlist

Xabi Alonso – Bayer Leverkusen

Carlo Ancelotti – Real Madrid

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Luis De La Fuente – Spain

Gian Piero Gasperini – Atalanta

Pep Guardiola – Man City

Lionel Scaloni – Argentina

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Team of the Year shortlist

Borussia Dortmund

Girona

Bayer Leverkusen

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Real Madrid

Manchester City

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Arsenal at verge of losing title race as ManCity secures 2-1 victory

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Manchester City beat Arsenal in their major Premier League title race clash at the Etihad thanks to Erling Haaland’s winner.

Pep Guardiola’s side defeated their rivals 2-1 on Sunday afternoon to move to within three points of the league leaders.

Rayan Cherki opened the scoring in the first half, before Kai Havertz pounced on a Gianluigi Donnarumma’s error to equalise.

And then during a tense second half, Haaland managed to find the all-important winner to sink the Gunners in Manchester.

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Man City now know they can move to the top of the Premier League table with a win over Burnley on Wednesday, live on talkSPORT.

Erling Haaland’s goal is the difference and Man City now have the chance to move to the top of the Premier League.

They’ll be celebrating tonight – but not too hard, ahead of their meeting with Burnley on Wednesday, live on talkSPORT.

As for Arsenal, it’s a nightmare evening for them.

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The Gunners had the quadruple in their sights a few weeks ago, but now, after losing four of their last six, hopes are doomed.

There will be no Carabao Cup, no FA Cup, and now potentially no Premier League following their dismal run.C CB.

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Real Sociedad Beat Atletico On Penalties To Win Copa Dey Rey

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Real Sociedad edged Atletico Madrid 4-3 on penalties to win the Copa del Rey for a fourth time in the club’s history after a 2-2 draw in a gripping final on Saturday in Seville.

After Alexander Sorloth and Julian Alvarez missed from the spot for Diego Simeone’s Atletico, Pablo Marin smashed home his kick to claim victory for the Basque side.

Ander Barrenetxea had headed Real Sociedad ahead after just 14 seconds, with Ademola Lookman levelling for Atletico.

Mikel Oyarzabal put the Basque side ahead from the penalty spot before the break but Alvarez rescued Atletico and forced extra time and ultimately penalties with a superb strike.

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La Real’s season seemed set to be one of struggle until American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo was appointed in December, and he resuscitated their campaign.

At La Cartuja stadium it was a battle between two teams that often attack fast and direct, and Real Sociedad certainly did that, netting the quickest ever goal scored in a Copa del Rey final.

Goncalo Guedes scampered away down the left on to a long ball, crossing for Barrenetxea to head beyond Juan Musso before the Rojiblancos had even touched the ball.

Simeone’s side, who last won the competition back in 2013 near the start of his 14-year reign, wrestled their way back level through Lookman.

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Antoine Griezmann laid off the ball to him on the edge of the box and without much on, the Nigeria international spied a route to goal and drilled into the bottom corner.

Lookman almost created a goal for Griezmann but Real Sociedad scrambled to block the 35-year-old French forward, who is leaving Atletico at the end of the season for MLS side Orlando City.

Atletico goalkeeper Musso, chosen ahead of the fit-again Jan Oblak after he impressed during the Slovenian’s recent injury absence, handed La Real the lead again just before the break.

Musso clumsily clattered Guedes fists first as the Portuguese leapt for a header and the Basque side were awarded a penalty.

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Oyarzabal, who scored from the spot when they won the 2020 edition, without their fans present because of the global pandemic, sent Musso the wrong way.

After a first half in which they struggled, Atletico began to build some pressure after the interval.

Griezmann lashed over and Lookman whipped a shot high and wide as La Real tried to stave off the Rojiblancos, who dominated the ball.

Alvarez forces extra time

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Simeone called for his battering ram, sending on Norwegian target man Sorloth to try and force a way through.

Eventually the goal they craved came from the guile of former Manchester City striker Alvarez instead.

The Argentina forward took a neat touch to spin on the edge of the box and then another to plant the ball in the top corner for his 19th goal of the season.

With La Real caving Johnny Cardoso should have won it for Atletico in stoppage time. The American fired a golden opening wide of the far post with just goalkeeper Unai Marrero to beat.

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Musso made a fine save to thwart Icelandic striker Orri Oskarsson as he tried to turn home a rebound in extra time.

At the other end Alvarez crashed a shot off the crossbar from long range, with both teams creating enough opportunities to win it before penalties.

Marrero denied both Sorloth and Alvarez on Atletico’s first two penalties, with Musso stopping one from Oskarsson to give Atletico a chance.

However Marin made no mistake with Real Sociedad’s fifth penalty to spark wild celebrations.

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Atletico’s last realistic chance of silverware this season, and something for Griezmann to celebrate on his departure, is in the Champions League where they face Arsenal in the semi-finals.

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Another heavy headache for Chelsea as Man U secures 1-0 victory

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Manchester United beat Chelsea 1-0 away at Stamford Bridge to put a huge 10-point gap between Michael Carrick’s Red Devils in third and Liam Rosenior’s hapless Blues in sixth

United take three vital points at Stamford Bridge to further strengthen their ambitions of European football next season.

Matheus Cunha scored the only goal of the game shortly before half-time to maintain interim manager Michael Carrick’s impressive tenure since taking charge in January.

For the Blues, who saw a goal ruled out and twice hit the woodwork, they remain in sixth but failed to make a dent in the four-point gap between them and fifth-placed Liverpool.

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The result means Liam Rosenior’s side are on a run of four successive top-flight defeats for the first time since the 1990s – doing so without scoring a single goal.

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