Ademola Lookman

Peckham, Sunday league and Nigerian roots

Ademola Lookman was born in London on 20 October 1997 to Nigerian Yoruba parents; his older sisters were born in Nigeria. Raised mostly by his mother in Peckham, he did well at school and played Sunday-league football until Charlton gave him a chance at 16.

Choosing Nigeria

Lookman won the 2017 U-20 World Cup with England, but switched to Nigeria; FIFA approved it in February 2022. He calls it “the best decision I ever made”.

Club career

Dublin, 2024

On 22 May 2024 Lookman scored all three goals as Atalanta beat Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in the Europa League final, ending Leverkusen’s 51-match unbeaten run.

For Nigeria

He scored three goals as Nigeria reached the AFCON 2023 final and was in the team of the tournament, and added three goals and four assists at AFCON 2025. In December 2024 he was named African Footballer of the Year, following Osimhen.