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Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo with pip of Victor Osimhen. (Photo by Imago)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The organizers of the Ballon d’Or have confirmed the rules for the 2026 edition of the award ceremony, and several Super Eagles stars may be fancying their chances of claiming the prestigious honor, Soccernet.ng<\/a> reports.<\/strong><\/p>\n \u200bPSG star Ousmane Dembele won the last edition after helping his side secure a European treble: the Champions League, Ligue 1, and the Coupe de France.<\/p>\n \u200bThis year\u2019s race promises to be tighter, particularly due to the World Cup. Traditionally, the best player from the Champions League-winning team is considered the favorite. <\/p>\n However, in a World Cup year, the winning nation’s performance often shifts the direction of the award. <\/p>\n For instance, Lionel Messi won in 2023 after leading Argentina to World Cup glory \u2014 despite playing for Inter Miami at the time \u2014 while Erling Haaland, the standout player from the Champions League-winning squad, missed out.<\/p>\n \u200bAhead of this year’s ceremony, the organizers have clarified the eligibility criteria<\/a>. There have been lingering misconceptions that players based outside of Europe cannot win the Ballon d’Or. While that was true until 1995, the award has since become a global honor. <\/p>\n Although the award has been dominated by players based in Europe \u2014 as that is where the highest concentration of elite talent play \u2014 players at clubs outside Europe are fully eligible. As such, stars like Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, who play outside of Europe, compete on a level playing field with European-based stars like Victor Osimhen, Kylian Mbapp\u00e9, and Erling Haaland.<\/p>\n \u200bWhen discussing the best players in the world, Super Eagles striker Victor Osimhen is certainly part of the conversation. In fact, he is probably in the top three when ranking best strikers in the World. However, his previous season was not his best, despite winning the Turkish S\u00fcper Lig.<\/p>\n \u200bLast season, he recorded 22 goals and eight assists in 33 appearances across all competitions \u2014 scoring 15 in the S\u00fcper Lig and seven in the Champions League. In the Turkish top-flight, he finished fourth in the goalscorers’ chart, while in the UEFA Champions League, he was the joint-eighth highest goalscorer.<\/p>\n![\"Soccer](\"https:\/\/soccernet.ng\/thumbor\/hrsU3oGgJ6GQiJeGYUFIXwVnirQ=\/4772x3181\/smart\/https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.soccernet.ng%2Fmain%2F2026%2F07%2Fimago37973927.jpg\")
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Soccer \u200bCan Victor Osimhen Win the 2026 Ballon d’Or?<\/h2>\n
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