Achraf Hakimi and Sadio Mane receive 2026 Ballon d'Or nominations

Achraf Hakimi and Sadio Mane are the only African players named to the 30-man shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d'Or. The ceremony to announce the winner will take place on October 26 in London. George Weah remains the only African player to win the award, having earned the honor in 1995. Since that year, African players have received 76 total nominations, accounting for approximately 6.6% of the overall candidate pool. Samuel Eto'o holds the record for most nominations by an African player with nine, while Sadio Mane has the longest span between his first and most recent appearances on the list. The award recipient is determined by votes from journalists representing the top 100 nations in the FIFA rankings.

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