Achraf Hakimi and S. Mane are back on the 2026 Ballon d'Or shortlist, but the main story is still Africa's long wait for a second winner. Only one African has ever won the prize, W. George in 1995, and African players have still accumulated 76 nominations since eligibility opened to non-European players that year.
Africa's record since 1995
The raw volume is not small, but it has not translated into a deeper haul at the top. Those 76 nominations amount to 6.62% of all Ballon d'Or hopefuls since 1995, and 39 African nations are still waiting for a first nominee.
That is a thin return for a continent that has produced a few genuine challengers. S. Mane finished second in 2022 behind Karim Benzema, and Victor Osimhen's eighth-place finish in 2023 is the best performance by a Super Eagles player.
Messi and Ronaldo have also dominated the modern era of the award. They collected 13 of the 15 Ballon d'Ors available between 2008 and 2023, which left very little room for anyone outside the European superpower clubs to break through.
Hakimi and Mane on this year's shortlist
Hakimi's place on the shortlist keeps Morocco in the conversation, and Mane's return does the same for Senegal, but neither nomination changes the basic pattern on its own. Hakimi's 2026 World Cup rating of 6.93 is respectable, yet it is not the kind of season-long profile that usually pushes a player into the last stage of the voting.
The voting structure also shapes the prize. Journalists from the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations vote, and the 2026 trophy will be announced at a ceremony in London on 26 October.
BBC also described London as a symbolic venue choice, which fits the 70th anniversary of a prize that only became open to non-European players in 1995. The symbolism is neat enough, but the voting patterns still matter more than the staging.
Hakimi and Mane have given Africa a presence on the shortlist again, and that is better than being absent. The record remains unchanged for now, with George Weah still the continent's only winner and 26 October set for the next Ballon d'Or ceremony in London.
FAQ
Why has Africa struggled to produce another Ballon d'Or winner?
Africa has only ever had one Ballon d'Or winner, George Weah in 1995. Since then, African players have received 76 nominations, but the award has stayed heavily concentrated at the top end of the global game. Messi and Ronaldo have taken 13 of the 15 Ballon d'Ors available between 2008 and 2023.
Can Achraf Hakimi or Sadio Mane end Africa's Ballon d'Or drought?
Achraf Hakimi and Sadio Mane are both on the 2026 shortlist, but the record to beat is still a long one. Mane finished second in 2022, while Hakimi's 2026 World Cup rating of 6.93 is respectable rather than the kind of elite season-long marker usually linked with a Ballon d'Or winner.
How many African Ballon d'Or nominations have there been since 1995?
There have been 76 African Ballon d'Or nominations since the prize opened to non-European players in 1995. That works out at 6.62% of all hopefuls, and 39 African nations are still waiting for a first nominee.
Written by Sam Whitfield with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
