Super Eagles winger Ademola Lookman has etched his name into the annals of UEFA Football history.

Lookman secured his place as the first African player to score three times in the final of a major UEFA competition, with his hat-trick for Atalanta against Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final on Thursday.

The 26 year-old netted his first goal in the 12th minute and followed up the second fourteen minutes later. In the 75th minute he completed his hat-trick.

Adding to his legacy, Lookman joins the ranks of Nigerian football icons as the third Nigerian player to score in the final of a major UEFA competition.

He joined Alex Iwobi, who found the net in the 2019 Europa League final, and Joe Aribo whose goal came in the 2022 Europa League final – though both ended in defeats.

Throughout the competition, Lookman has been a formidable force for Atalanta, amassing a total of seven goals and one assist.