Ballon d’Or 2023: Osimhen ranked ahead of Benzema, Salah in top 10 best players

Nigerian international, Victor Osimhen has finished among the top ten best players in the world in the 2023 Ballon d’Or rankings.

During the 2022/2023 season, the Nigerian international led Napoli to the Scudetto for the first time in more than three decades.

Osimhen scored 26 league goals last season, netting a total of 31 times in 39 matches in all competitions during their campaign.

He also helped the Partenopei reach the quarter-finals of the UEFA Champions League for the very first time in the club’s history, Infogol reports.

The former Lille of France striker was voted the Serie A best striker for the year and received the Golden Boot.

On the international scene, Osimhen netted 10 goals to help Nigeria secure qualification for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations in Ivory Coast.

His efforts were rewarded with a Ballon d’Or nomination, which saw him finish in the top 10 ahead of the likes of Karim Benzema and Mohamed Salah.

Osimhen finished in eighth position in the overall rankings, while Bernardo Silva and Luka Modric were ninth and 10th respectively.

Benzema finished in 16th position, while Robert Lewandowski finished 12th. Lionel Messi, meanwhile, claimed a record-extending eighth award ahead of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.