• As Dembele wins 2025 Ballon d’Or
By Obinna Uballa
Nigeria’s Super Falcons and Brighton & Hove Albion goalkeeper, Chiamaka Nnadozie, etched her name into football history on Monday night in Paris, becoming the first Nigerian and African goalkeeper to finish in top five of the prestigious Ballon d’Or women’s goalkeeper award.
Nnadozie capped off a remarkable year with Brighton by finishing fourth in the global rankings, a feat that drew celebration across Nigeria and her English club. Brighton hailed her recognition on social media, describing it as a “proud moment for the club, the country and the continent.”
The Super Falcons congratulated her via the the team’s X handle, expressing joy at her fear.
The 24-year-old shot-stopper, who has been in stellar form since moving to the Women’s Super League, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with some of the world’s finest, as England’s Hannah Hampton claimed the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award.
Her achievement comes on the back of consistent performances for both club and country, including heroic saves that helped the Super Falcons reach the round of 16 at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup and a strong showing in the WSL last season.
Meanwhile, the ceremony itself saw France and Spain dominate the headlines. Paris Saint-Germain’s Ousmane Dembele won the men’s Ballon d’Or after powering the French champions to a historic treble, while Barcelona’s Aitana Bonmatí made history by becoming the first player to win the women’s prize three years in a row.
France Football’s director, Vincent Garcia, said Dembélé’s triumph was emphatic: “There was no match. Ousmane won it by a wide margin. On all continents: his Ballon d’Or is clear and unambiguous.”
Other winners included Gianluigi Donnarumma (Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year), Cole Palmer (Men’s Rising Star), Sarina Wiegman (Women’s Best Coach), PSG (Men’s Club of the Year) and Arsenal (Women’s Club of the Year).
