Ademola Lookman portrait — Wikimedia Commons (see CREDITS)
Red-and-white M.O.N location_on Atlético Madrid

ADEMOLA
LOOKMAN

Second Striker / Winger #22 Nigerian flag Nigeria (Super Eagles)
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Age

28 yrs

Height

1.74m

Value

€34m

Caps / Goals

43 / 11

Profile

Who is Ademola

Ademola Lookman is a Nigerian second-striker who plays for Atlético Madrid in La Liga. Born in Wandsworth, south London to Nigerian parents, he switched his international allegiance to Nigeria in 2022 and has 43 Super Eagles caps with 11 goals. In May 2024 he scored a hat-trick in the UEFA Europa League final, giving Atalanta their first major trophy in 61 years. He won the 2024 CAF African Footballer of the Year award on the back of that campaign and joined Atlético Madrid in February 2026 for a reported €35m fee plus bonuses on a four-and-a-half-year contract.

Tactical DNA

Lookman is a right-footed inside-forward who plays predominantly on the left flank. His main trait is balance on contact: he rides heavy tackles better than most forwards his size. Under Gian Piero Gasperini at Atalanta he developed into a reliable goal threat, scoring 55 goals across three seasons. At Atlético Madrid under Diego Simeone he plays higher up the pitch, usually in a front-two alongside Julián Álvarez, with license to drop into the half-space between the opposition full-back and centre-back.

For Nigeria under Éric Chelle he operates as a left-sided second striker next to Victor Osimhen. When Lookman has space to run at defenders, Osimhen gets the scoring chance. Chelle has publicly described the pairing as the Super Eagles' priority attacking structure for the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign and AFCON 2027 in Morocco.

Career Journey

history
Waterloo FC (Sunday league, London)

Played open-age men's Sunday football as a teenager in south London. Discovered by a Charlton scout at an open trial day.

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Charlton Athletic (England)
48 apps 19 goals

Football League Young Player of the Month twice. Breakout season at a struggling second-tier club; picked up the Charlton Young Player of the Year award.

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Everton (England)
24 apps 3 goals £11m

Signed at 19 as a Premier League future bet. Scored on his debut against Manchester City but found senior minutes hard to come by under multiple managers.

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RB Leipzig (Germany, loan + permanent)
59 apps 11 goals 9 assists €18m (permanent)

Initial loan spell showed scoring instinct; the permanent deal delivered a Bundesliga education in Julian Nagelsmann's pressing system — the tactical foundation for the Atalanta version of Lookman.

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Fulham (England, loan)
31 apps 4 goals

Relegation season. A missed panenka penalty against West Ham became a viral moment — and, in his own telling, a turning-point about composure in the biggest moments.

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Leicester City (England, loan)
35 apps 6 goals 3 assists

Reset his career under Brendan Rodgers. Six Premier League goals re-established him as a starter-level attacker in England.

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Atalanta (Italy)
105 apps 41 goals

Bought from Leicester. Multiple seasons under Gian Piero Gasperini. 105 Serie A apps / 41 goals (per Wikipedia). UEFA Europa League winner 2023–24 with a hat-trick in the final vs Bayer Leverkusen — Atalanta's first major trophy in 61 years. 2024 CAF African Footballer of the Year.

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Atlético Madrid (Spain)
€35m + €5m bonuses (contract until June 2030)

Joined Atlético Madrid on 2 February 2026 on a four-and-a-half-year deal. Scored on his debut in a 5–0 Copa del Rey win at Real Betis.

Current Season Stats

Live Data
Apps
33
Goals
16
Serie A + UEL
Assists
10
xG
13.5
Minutes
2,780
Goals / 90
0.52

military_techHonours

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CAF African Footballer of the Year

2024

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UEFA Europa League Winner

Atalanta — 2023–24

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UEFA Europa League Final hat-trick

vs Bayer Leverkusen (3–0) — first major European-final treble since 1975

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AFCON Runner-up

2023 (Côte d'Ivoire 2–1 Nigeria)

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AFCON 2023 Goal of the Tournament

Opening goal vs Cameroon, Round of 16

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Coppa Italia Runner-up

2023–24 with Atalanta

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Premier League Debut Goal

vs Manchester City — April 2017 for Everton

flagWith Nigeria (Super Eagles)

43
Caps
11
Goals
2022
Debut
AFCON 2023 (final, runners-up) AFCON 2025 (3rd place) WCQ 2026
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Beyond the Pitch

Born 20 October 1997 in Wandsworth, south London, to Nigerian parents from Oyo State. Grew up in Peckham and went through the English youth system — from England U19 Euro winner 2017 and Toulon Tournament Golden Ball winner 2016 to England U21s — before switching allegiance to Nigeria in 2022, a process he has described as 'a return, not a move'.

Known as one of the most private players in the Super Eagles set-up: rarely gives solo interviews outside match obligations, keeps family details off social media, and is close with his younger brother Jordan, who plays in the lower tiers of English football. Religious; frequently cites faith as part of how he handled the 2021 panenka miss and the road back from it.

Philanthropy has grown in parallel with his profile: the Ademola Lookman Foundation funds boots, education packs and school-fee sponsorships in south-west Nigeria, and he quietly paid travel and accommodation costs for several Nigerian supporters attending AFCON 2023 in Côte d'Ivoire.

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Expert Analysis

Chinedu Okoye

Chinedu Okoye

Senior Writer

14 posts on Ademola.

 Amara Okafor

Amara Okafor

Senior Writer

9 posts on Ademola.

Ademola Q&A

How old is Ademola Lookman? expand_more
Ademola Lookman was born on 20 October 1997 in Wandsworth, London, which makes him 28 years old as of April 2026.
Which club does Ademola Lookman play for? expand_more
Lookman plays for Atlético Madrid in La Liga. He joined from Atalanta on 2 February 2026 for a reported €35 million plus €5m in bonuses, on a four-and-a-half-year contract running until 30 June 2030. He ended his Atalanta spell with the 2023–24 Europa League and the 2024 CAF African Footballer of the Year award.
When did Ademola Lookman join Atlético Madrid? expand_more
Atlético Madrid announced the deal on 1 February 2026 and Lookman signed a four-and-a-half-year contract on 2 February 2026. He made his debut four days later, scoring in a 5–0 Copa del Rey win at Real Betis.
Is Ademola Lookman leaving Atalanta? expand_more
He has left. Lookman departed Atalanta in the January–February 2026 window, signing for Atlético Madrid. His Atalanta Serie A record stands at 105 appearances and 41 goals (per Wikipedia), plus a UEFA Europa League winner's medal and the 2024 CAF African Footballer of the Year award.
Is Ademola Lookman English or Nigerian? expand_more
Both by heritage, Nigerian by international career. He was born and raised in south London to Nigerian parents from Oyo State, came through England's youth system — winning the 2017 U19 Euro — and then switched his senior allegiance to Nigeria in 2022. He has called the switch 'a return, not a move'.
When did Ademola Lookman switch to Nigeria? expand_more
FIFA cleared his switch in 2022. His senior Super Eagles debut came against Algeria in a September 2022 friendly, and he first started drawing national attention in Nigeria during the 2023 AFCON qualifying campaign.
What is the Ademola Lookman Europa League hat-trick? expand_more
In the 22 May 2024 UEFA Europa League final at Dublin's Aviva Stadium, Lookman scored all three goals as Atalanta beat Bayer Leverkusen 3–0 — the first hat-trick in a major European final since Jupp Heynckes's treble for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the 1975 UEFA Cup final, and the first by an African player in any senior UEFA final.
Did Ademola Lookman win the AFCON? expand_more
Not yet. Nigeria were runners-up at AFCON 2023, losing 2–1 to hosts Côte d'Ivoire in the final. Lookman was one of the tournament's standout players, with the competition's Goal of the Tournament (vs Cameroon, Round of 16) on his CV. AFCON 2027 in Morocco is the next realistic opportunity.
How tall is Ademola Lookman? expand_more
Lookman is 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in). His game is built on balance and close control rather than physical presence. That profile has suited both Gian Piero Gasperini's attacking system at Atalanta and Diego Simeone's front-two pressing structure at Atlético Madrid.
What is Ademola Lookman's net worth? expand_more
Public estimates of Lookman's net worth in 2026 sit around US $15–25 million, built on his Atalanta contract, prior Premier League and Bundesliga wages, and endorsement deals following the 2024 CAF African Footballer of the Year award. The specific figures circulating online are estimates, not disclosures.
Was Ademola Lookman the 2024 African Footballer of the Year? expand_more
Yes. The CAF Awards 2024, held in Marrakech on 16 December 2024, named Lookman African Footballer of the Year after his Europa League final hat-trick and his leading role in Nigeria's AFCON 2023 run. He succeeded Victor Osimhen, who had won the 2023 edition.
Who is Ademola Lookman's wife? expand_more
Lookman has not publicly confirmed a marriage. He keeps his personal life off social media and has declined to discuss relationships in interviews. Nigerian media outlets have occasionally linked him to partners but the player's own accounts on Instagram and X do not reference a spouse.
What is Ademola Lookman's salary at Atlético Madrid? expand_more
Lookman's Atlético Madrid salary has not been officially disclosed. Reports from Marca and The Athletic at the time of his 2025 signing suggested a base wage around €6 million net per season plus performance bonuses, consistent with Atlético's second-tier wage bracket below captain-level earners.
What is Ademola Lookman's jersey number? expand_more
Number 22 at Atlético Madrid. He wore 11 at Atalanta and 14 at Leicester. His Nigeria number varies by tournament, most recently 11 in the AFCON 2023 squad.
What is Ademola Lookman's religion? expand_more
Lookman is a practising Christian and has spoken publicly about his faith, including in post-match interviews after the 2024 Europa League final. He wears a cross on a neck chain in most matchday photographs and has thanked God during every major award acceptance speech, including the 2024 CAF Awards in Marrakech.
What are Ademola Lookman's stats? expand_more
Across his European career Lookman has logged 300+ senior club appearances with 90+ goals combined across Charlton, Everton, Leipzig, Fulham, Leicester, Atalanta and Atlético Madrid. His Atalanta Serie A record (per Wikipedia) is 105 appearances and 41 goals. For Nigeria he has 43 caps and 11 goals — his famous hat-trick came in the 2024 UEFA Europa League final, not an AFCON final.

Related

Player Victor Osimhen arrow_forward Player Wilfred Ndidi arrow_forward Coach Éric Chelle arrow_forward Tournament AFCON 2023 arrow_forward Country Football in Nigeria arrow_forward

Last updated 2026-04-21 · written by Chinedu Okoye.