Ademola Lookman

Lore & Background

Lookman made his senior debut in 2015, playing as a forward for Charlton Athletic of the Championship. He signed for Everton in January 2017, where he played mainly as a winger. After joining Italian club Atalanta in 2022, he won the UEFA Europa League in 2024, scoring a hat-trick in the final against Bayer Leverkusen and subsequently being named the African Footballer of the Year, becoming the seventh Nigerian international to win the award. In January 2025, he joined Atlético Madrid. Having represented England from under-19 to under-21 levels, Lookman made his senior debut for Nigeria in 2022. He was part of the squad that finished runners-up at the Africa Cup of Nations in 2023.

Reader's Guide

Lookman joined Atlético Madrid on 1 February 2026, signing a four-and-a-half-year contract. He made his debut four days later, scoring a goal in a 5–0 away win over Real Betis in the Copa del Rey, his 100th career goal. On 14 April, he scored in a 2–1 home defeat to Barcelona in the Champions League quarter-final second leg, helping his side reach the semi-finals with a 3–2 aggregate victory.

Did You Know?

• Lookman scored a hat-trick in the 2024 UEFA Europa League final, ending Bayer Leverkusen's 51-game unbeaten streak.
• He became the first current Atalanta player to receive a Ballon d'Or nomination in September 2024.
• Lookman scored his 100th career goal during the 2024-25 season, prior to his move to Atlético Madrid.

Early Life and Academic Foundations

Ademola Lookman was born on October 20, 1997, in Wandsworth, Greater London, to Nigerian parents of Yoruba origin. Before his football career took center stage, he demonstrated remarkable academic discipline at St Thomas the Apostle College in Nunhead. There, he achieved three A grades and five As in his GCSEs. His talent was first nurtured at Waterloo, a youth club in the London Borough of Lambeth. In 2014, he joined the Charlton Athletic academy, where his goalscoring record for the U18 and U21 teams propelled him rapidly through the ranks.

The English Club Journey and Loan Adventures

Lookman made his senior debut for Charlton Athletic on November 3, 2015. He scored his first goal in a 3–2 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion on December 5, 2015, and followed it with both of his team's goals in a 2–2 draw against Bolton Wanderers ten days later. In January 2017, he signed for Everton for an initial £7.5 million (potentially rising to £11 million). He debuted ten days later, scoring the fourth goal in a 4–0 win over Manchester City. Unable to secure regular first-team football at Everton, he rejected a loan to Derby County and moved to RB Leipzig instead. After returning permanently to Leipzig on July 25, 2019, he was loaned to Fulham for the 2020–21 season, scoring his first league goal against Sheffield United. In August 2021, he joined Leicester City on loan, where he scored a crucial winner against Liverpool on December 28.

European Glory and Historic Achievements at Atalanta

On August 4, 2022, Lookman signed a four-year contract with Atalanta for €15 million. He scored on his debut in a 2–0 win over Sampdoria. In January 2023, he scored braces in three consecutive matches: against Salernitana (8–2), Spezia (5–2 Coppa Italia), and Juventus (3–3). The pinnacle arrived on May 22, 2024, when he scored a hat-trick in the Europa League final, leading Atalanta to a 3–0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen. This made him the first player since 1969 to score a hat-trick in a one-legged Men's European final and ended Leverkusen’s 51-game unbeaten streak. These performances earned him the African Footballer of the Year award. However, his time also saw controversy; after Atalanta lost to Club Brugge in the Champions League, Gasperini criticized his penalty miss.

International Allegiance and National Team Success

Born in England, Lookman represented the country from under-19 to under-21 levels, including scoring three goals at the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup as England won the title. Despite early approaches to switch to Nigeria, he initially declined them in 2017 and 2018. In January 2020, he announced a switch to Nigeria, though he stated his desire to represent England remained until FIFA approved his request on February 10, 2022. He made his senior debut for Nigeria on March 25, 2022, against Ghana. He was instrumental in their 2023 Africa Cup of Nations runner-up finish, scoring both goals against Cameroon and the winner against Angola. In 2025, he helped Nigeria secure third place at the AFCON, scoring the winning goal against Tanzania and providing two assists plus a goal against Tunisia.