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JUST IN: Haaland ranked 26th, van Dijk 28th in Ballon d’Or 2025 list

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The build-up to the 2025 Ballon d’Or ceremony is officially underway as the organisers began unveiling the rankings on their official X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday afternoon.

Kicking off the list at 30th place is Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise, followed by Florian Wirtz of Bayer Leverkusen at 29th, and Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk in 28th. Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice sits at 27th, while Manchester City’s Erling Haaland narrowly misses the top 25, landing in 26th place.

The partial list, also shared by football journalist Fabrizio Romano, has already ignited fan debates online, especially surrounding Olise’s placement. The French winger delivered an outstanding 2024–25 season for Bayern, registering 12 goals and 15 assists, making his relatively low ranking a point of contention.

The full top 30 list is expected to be released in stages throughout the day.

The Ballon d’Or 2025 ceremony is set to take place later today in Paris, where the world’s top footballer will be officially crowned.

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Super Eagles captain Ndidi mourns father’s death

” We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of our footballer Wilfred Ndidi’s esteemed father, Sunday Ndidi, in a fatal traffic accident,” the club said in a statement released via their official X account.

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• Super Eagles captain Wilfred Ndidi

Sunday Ndidi – the father of Super Eagles captain, Wilfred Ndidi, died today in a road accident at Umunede, Delta State.

The retired military officer was confirmed dead after being rushed to a hospital at Agbor, also in Delta State.

Ndidi’s club, Besiktas, confirmed the incident on Tuesday.

“We are deeply saddened to learn of the tragic passing of our footballer Wilfred Ndidi’s esteemed father, Sunday Ndidi, in a fatal traffic accident,” the club said in a statement released via their official X account.

Ndidi recently captained Nigeria to a third-place finish at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where he also scored his first international goal for the country.

While celebrating his headed goal against Tunisia in Nigeria’s second group match, the midfielder referenced his father and his admiration for former Nigeria captain Kanu Nwankwo.

The celebration came from my dad because he was always talking about Kanu Nwankwo,” Ndidi told journalists in Morocco.

“So I just thought about my dad. I had seen the video before, but it came to my head, and I said I was going to do it for my dad.”

Ndidi, who often speaks about growing up with his father in the barracks, was born and raised in Lagos.

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Lagos to host Davis Cup World Group II playoff

Oyekanmi emphasised that with the world’s attention on Lagos in February, the stage is set for a thrilling showdown that promises to elevate Nigerian tennis to new heights.

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The Lagos Lawn Tennis Club will host Davis Cup World Group II playoff between Nigeria and Uzbekistan from 6–8 February 2026.

The President of the Nigeria Tennis Federation, Victor Ochie, who disclosed this, said that hosting the event will significantly contribute to the development of lawn tennis in the country.

Prince Kunle Oyekanmi, publicity secretary of the Lagos Lawn Tennis Club, expressed confidence in the club’s ability to host a world-class tournament.“We are committed to ensuring a successful championship that will leave a lasting mark on the sport globally,” he said.

Oyekanmi added that the Davis Cup will inspire young and upcoming Nigerian players to pursue lawn tennis more passionately.

Oyekanmi emphasised that with the world’s attention on Lagos in February, the stage is set for a thrilling showdown that promises to elevate Nigerian tennis to new heights.

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US opens priority visa appointments for 2026 World Cup ticket holders

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that the organisation expects “between five and ten million people” to travel to North America to enjoy the World Cup.

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The United States on Tuesday, opened a priority visa appointment system for holders of tickets to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, allowing fans to seek earlier appointments ahead of the tournament.

The World Cup will be hosted by the US, Canada and Mexico from June 11 to July 19.

BBC reported that visa appointment scheme will enable ticket holders to access prioritised visa slots before the competition begins on June 11.

The US will host 78 of the 104 matches at the 2026 World Cup across 11 cities, including the final at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.”

In November, President Donald Trump said the Departments of State and Homeland Security had been working “tirelessly” to ensure football fans from around the world are properly vetted and able to travel to the United States for the summer tournament.

“I’ve directed my administration to do everything within our power to make the 2026 World Cup an unprecedented success. We are setting records on ticket sales,” Trump said.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino said that the organisation expects “between five and ten million people” to travel to North America to enjoy the World Cup.

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