Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Senegal’s Sadio Mané are the only African players on the 30-man shortlist for football’s most prestigious individual award.
Achraf Hakimi and Sadio Mané have been named among the 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, keeping alive Africa’s hopes of producing only its second winner of football’s prestigious individual award.
Morocco captain Hakimi and Senegal forward Mané are the only African players on the 30-man shortlist.
Both have previously finished among the leading contenders. Hakimi placed sixth in the 2025 Ballon d’Or rankings, while Mané finished fourth in 2019 before reaching a career-best second place in 2022.
Hakimi and Mané Represent Africa in Ballon d’Or Race
Neither African star enters the 2026 race among the leading favorites, with Spain’s World Cup triumph and Kylian Mbappé’s record-breaking tournament helping shape this year’s competition.
Still, the nominations underline the continued presence of African players among world football’s elite.
For Hakimi, another nomination follows his sixth-place finish last year, while Mané returns to a race in which he has previously come closer than almost any African player to matching the continent’s greatest Ballon d’Or achievement.
George Weah Remains Africa’s Only Ballon d’Or Winner
Liberian legend George Weah remains the only African footballer to win the Ballon d’Or.
Weah claimed the award in 1995 following standout performances for Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan, making history as the prize’s first African winner.
His triumph came during a landmark year for the award.
France Football removed the Ballon d’Or’s nationality restriction in 1995. Before the change, eligibility was limited to European players, preventing African stars without European nationality from competing during much of the award’s earlier history.
Africa’s Ballon d’Or Wait Reaches 31 Years
The rule change opened the Ballon d’Or to players of all nationalities, but no African has lifted the trophy since Weah’s historic victory.
More than three decades later, Hakimi and Mané now carry Africa’s representation on the 2026 shortlist.
Whether either can challenge for the top prize remains to be seen, but their nominations ensure Africa remains part of the Ballon d’Or 2026 race as the continent continues its long wait for a second winner.
