Lookman Atletico Madrid No. 11: Nigeria winger takes the iconic shirt after Thiago Almada leaves for River Plate ahead of the 2026/27 season

Nigeria international Ademola Lookman will wear Atletico Madrid’s No. 11 shirt in the 2026/27 LaLiga season after taking over the number previously worn by Argentina midfielder Thiago Almada.

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Lookman joined Atletico from Italian side Atalanta in January and initially wore No. 22 during his first six months with the Spanish club.

The 28-year-old will now switch to No. 11 following Almada’s recent transfer to Argentine club River Plate.

The change gives Lookman a familiar number. The winger previously wore No. 11 during his time at Atalanta, where he developed into one of Serie A’s most influential attacking players.

His first half-season in Madrid also provided encouraging signs. Lookman scored nine goals and supplied four assists in 24 appearances across all competitions for Atletico last season.

The Nigerian’s arrival at Atletico followed an impressive spell in Italy, where his performances attracted sustained attention from major European clubs.

Lookman became particularly prominent during Atalanta’s historic 2023/24 campaign, when he scored a hat-trick in the Europa League final against Bayer Leverkusen to help the Italian side secure their first major European trophy.

That performance further elevated his profile and reinforced his reputation as a decisive player in high-pressure matches.

The No. 11 shirt has traditionally been associated with attacking players, making the switch another indication of Lookman’s growing status at Atletico.

With Almada’s departure creating the vacancy, Lookman will now carry the number into a full season at the Madrid club as Atletico seek to challenge for domestic and European honours.

His new shirt number also comes at an important stage of his international career. Lookman remains a key attacking option for Nigeria as the Super Eagles continue preparations for major international competition.

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For Atletico supporters, the immediate expectation will be for the Nigerian winger to build on his productive opening months and turn his nine-goal return into an even stronger full-season contribution.