Ballon d’Or 2026: 10 Africans Carry Continent’s Hopes Across Four Categories
African football will have a strong presence at the 2026 Ballon d’Or awards, with 10 players from seven countries nominated across four major categories.
The nominations span the Men’s and Women’s Ballon d’Or, Men’s Young Talent of the Year and Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year, giving players from across the continent an opportunity to compete for global recognition.
Morocco and Senegal lead the men’s Ballon d’Or nominations through Achraf Hakimi and Sadio Mané. Hakimi earned recognition after a successful campaign with Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco, while Mané was nominated following another strong season with Al-Nassr and Senegal.
Africa’s women’s representation comes through Zambia’s Barbra Banda and Malawi’s Temwa Chawinga. Banda, an Orlando Pride forward, scored 14 goals during the 2025/26 season, while Chawinga netted 15 for Kansas City Current and emerged as the leading scorer at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
The next generation is represented by Morocco’s Ayyoub Bouaddi, Côte d’Ivoire’s Yan Diomandé and Algeria’s Ibrahim Maza in the young talent category. Goalkeepers Yassine Bounou of Morocco, Senegal’s Édouard Mendy and Cape Verde’s Vozinha complete the 10 African nominees.
With representation from seven countries and four categories, the nominations give Africa one of its broadest footprints at this year’s awards. The winners will be announced in London on October 26.
