Nigeria’s Ademola Lookman breaks records in Europa League final
May 23, 2024 published
Thursday May 23rd 2024 was a night to remember, both for Super Eagles star Ademola Lookman and his club Atalanta. ‘La Dea’ were in Ireland, competing against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2023-24 Europa League final.
Many would’ve seen Xabi Alonso’s side as favourites, having gone 51 matches unbeaten across the season so far, winning the Bundesliga and reaching both the DFB-Pokal and Europa League final. However, Nigerian international Lookman put Bayer Leverkusen to the sword with a historic individual performance.
The 26-year-old struck a magnificent hat-trick, the first African player ever to do so in a UEFA club competition final, which led Atalanta to a 3-0 victory and ended a wait of 61 years for a second major trophy in their history.
Capped 21 times by Nigeria, Lookman became the fourth African footballer to score in a Europa League final, dating back to the competitions’ beginning as the UEFA Cup back in 1971. But who are the other three players who share that honour?
Frédéric Kanouté (Mali) - Sevilla (2006)
A second-half substitute in the 2005/06 UEFA Cup final, Mali international Frédéric Kanouté earned the honour of being the first African to score in the tournament’s final. The former Tottenham and West Ham striker netted Sevilla’s fourth goal in their 4-0 triumph over Middlesbrough. This was to be the first of two UEFA Cup titles that Kanouté won with the club.
Alex Iwobi (Nigeria) - Arsenal (2019)
The first of three Super Eagles to find the net in a Europa League final. Alex Iwobi’s goal was ultimately in vain as Arsenal were beaten 4-1 by Chelsea, the Blues lifting the trophy under Maurizio Sarri in 2018-19. Iwobi has made 78 appearances for Nigeria and is still under 28-years-old.
Joe Aribo (Nigeria) - Rangers (2022)
It was heartbreak for Joe Aribo in the 2021-22 Europa League final as his goal for Scottish giants Rangers wasn’t enough to win them the trophy against Eintracht Frankfurt. Aribo opened the scoring in the second half before Eintracht fought back to equalise. The match was eventually decided by penalties, the Bundesliga side triumphing 5-4.
Ademola Lookman (Nigeria) - Atalanta (2024)
For the second time, a Nigerian international was on the scoresheet against a German club in the final of the Europa League. But on this occasion, Lookman went two steps further. After his opening goal vs Bayer Leverkusen in Dublin, the dynamic, speedy winger backed that up with two further finishes, both remarkable individual efforts with his right and left foot, completing a memorable hat-trick.
Lookman’s hat-trick was the third to be scored in European competition by a Nigerian footballer this season. Each of the other two were scored by Gift Orban of Belgian side Gent, both of them coming in the Europa Conference League.
The 21-year-old wonderkid racked up nine goals across ten appearances in Europe this campaign, earning a January transfer to French Ligue 1 club Lyon. Yet to be capped by the Super Eagles, surely Orban’s time is coming soon.
Not since Jupp Heynckes for Borussia Monchengladbach against FC Twente in 1975 had a player of any origin accumulated three goals in the final of a major UEFA club tournament, before Lookman’s exploits for Atalanta 49 years later. A list of all six hat-trick heroes can be found below.
Ferenc Puskás - Real Madrid vs Eintracht Frankfurt (1960)
The 1959-60 European Cup final was a memorable one for Real Madrid and Ferenc Puskás in particular. The Hungarian racked up four goals in an unforgettable 7-3 victory for ‘Los Blancos’ over Eintracht Frankfurt. To this day it remains the highest scoring final in European Cup/Champions League history and Puskás remains the only player to score four goals in a final.
Alfredo Di Stéfano - Real Madrid vs Eintracht Frankfurt (1960)
While Puskás stole most of the headlines in what is widely seen as the ‘Greatest final of all time’, one cannot forget the role Alfredo Di Stéfano played. The iconic forward scored a hat-trick himself, as him and Puskás netted all seven of Real Madrid’s goals between them against Eintracht.
Ferenc Puskás - Real Madrid vs Benfica (1962)
Just two years after his exploits at Hampden Park, Puskás was at it again in a European Cup final, this time recording a hat-trick vs Benfica in Amsterdam. However, this was to be in a losing effort as Real Madrid were beaten 5-3 by a Benfica side containing a footballing icon of their own in Eusébio.
Pierino Prati - AC Milan vs Ajax (1969)
As of 2024, Pierino Prati remains the last player to score a hat-trick in a European Cup/Champions League final. His three goals led Milan to glory in a 4-1 win over Dutch giants Ajax in the 1968-69 edition of the tournament.
Jupp Heynckes - Borussia Monchengladbach vs FC Twente (1975)
Back when the UEFA Cup final was held over two legs, Borussia Mochengladbach travelled to FC Twente with the score level at 0-0 on aggregate after the first-leg in Germany. A memorable away performance followed, Heynckes scoring the first ever UEFA Cup final hat-trick as Monchengladbach won by five goals to one.
Atalanta’s Europa League triumph sees Ademola Lookman become the third Nigerian to win in the competition’s final. He joins former Super Eagles Taribo West (1997-98) and Chukwudi ‘Chidi’ Odiah (2004-05) to have achieved the feat.