The 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or nominations are officially revealed, and only two African players, Senegal forward Sadio Mane and Morocco right-back Achraf Hakimi, made the 30-strong list. This short roster means the continent’s historic wait for its next Ballon d’Or winner is unfortunately set to continue, a drought that has stretched on for decades now. With Spain lifting the Fifa World Cup and Kylian Mbappe smashing 10 goals to become the tournament’s all-time top scorer, the chances of Mane, who plays for Al-Nassr, or Hakimi, the Paris St-Germain right-back, actually lifting the coveted trophy appear incredibly slim this year.
The Steep Climb for African Stars
Africa has seen just one Ballon d’Or winner in the entire history of the award: the legendary Liberian striker George Weah back in 1995. His incredible form for PSG and AC Milan was undeniable. It’s a shocking statistic, and part of the reason is that the award, first handed out by France Football magazine in 1956, wasn’t even open to players representing non-European nations until that very year, 1995! Weah’s win was a groundbreaking moment, proving what was possible. But since then, the struggle has been real. Sadio Mane did come close, finishing second behind France striker Karim Benzema in 2022, marking the only other time an African player has secured a top-three finish. For most of this century, we’ve watched Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo dominate, scooping up 13 of 15 available Ballons d’Or between 2008 and 2023. That’s some serious competition, making any breakthrough an uphill battle.
A Look at the Numbers: More Nominations, Still No Crown
Even when the pool of nominations expanded, African players have struggled to break through. In 1995, the year Weah won, five other Africans made the 50-player list. But since then, only once, in 2007, has the continent had as many as six nominations. That year, Didier Drogba was the highest-ranked finisher, coming in fourth. The field has narrowed too, with 30 players in contention since 2008. There was a stand-out year in 2019 when three African men finished in the top 10: Mane was fourth, Egypt’s Mohamed Salah fifth, and Riyad Mahrez of Algeria tenth. In total, Africa has received 76 nominations since 1995, which makes up just 6.62% of all overall hopefuls. Cameroon legend Samuel Eto’o holds the individual record for most nominations, making the running nine times in a row.
So, what’s next? Journalists from the top 100 nations in the Fifa rankings will cast their votes, and we’ll finally know the recipient of the 2026 trophy at a ceremony in London on October 26. This “symbolic choice of venue” for the 70th anniversary is a tribute to the inaugural winner, England winger Sir Stanley Matthews. While we know Mane and Hakimi’s chances look slim, we’ll still be holding our breath, hoping for a surprise and looking forward to the day Africa can celebrate its next Ballon d’Or winner.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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