Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman makes history with hat-trick in UEFA Europa League Final

Nigerian forward Ademola Lookman became first-ever African player to score two or more goals in a European Cup final. Lookman's three goals propelled Italian club Atalanta to a decisive 3-0 victory over Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final, held on May 22 at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.

Lookman's hat-trick, scored in the 12th, 26th, and 75th minutes of the match, marked a historic moment in European football. The last time a player had achieved this feat in a European final was in 1975. With Lookman's impressive performance, Bayer Leverkusen's record streak of 51 matches without defeat, dating back to May 2023, came to an end.

The 26-year-old Nigerian footballer has been one of a key players for Atalanta this season, having scored 16 goals in 43 appearances. 

Despite sitting in fifth place with two more games left in the Italian Serie A, Atalanta's Europa League triumph has already secured their participation in the Champions League for the next season.