Only two African players have been included among the 30 nominees for the 2026 men's Ballon d'Or, according to the Daily Post. Morocco's Achraf Hakimi and Senegal's Sadio Mane made the list announced on Tuesday, reportedly earning their places through strong performances at the last Africa Cup of Nations and impressive form for their respective clubs. The nominations highlight their standout campaigns over the past season, though African representation on the prestigious shortlist remains limited compared to previous years.

Three African goalkeepers have been nominated for the 2026 Yashin Trophy, the Ballon d'Or award recognising the world's best goalkeeper. According to Punch, the nominees are Yassine Bounou, Édouard Mendy, and Vozinha, whose performances over the past season earned them places on the shortlist. The nominations highlight the growing prominence of African goalkeepers in world football. The winner will be announced at the Ballon d'Or ceremony in 2026.

African footballers have received nominations across several categories for the 2026 Ballon d'Or awards, according to Vanguard Sports. Three goalkeepers from the continent are among the contenders for the Men's Goalkeeper of the Year prize. The publication released the full list of African nominees for the prestigious football awards, which recognise the sport's top performers across multiple categories.

Only two African players were nominated among the top 30 for the 2026 Women's Ballon d'Or, the Daily Post reported on Tuesday: Zambia's Barbra Banda and Malawi's Temwa Chawinga. According to the report, the pair earned their places following standout performances at the 2026 CAF Women's Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, which was won by Cameroon, with Chawinga scoring five goals during the tournament.

Ousmane Dembele, winner of the 2025 Ballon d'Or, has named his top three contenders for the 2026 award. According to Legit.ng, the French forward picked Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Harry Kane and himself as the leading favourites for the prestigious individual prize. Notably, Dembele left out high-profile stars Lionel Messi and Rodri from his predictions. The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony will determine the successor to Dembele as the world's best player.

France Football has released its list of nominees for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, with eight-time winner Lionel Messi and young Barcelona star Lamine Yamal among those selected, according to a report by Punch. The publication shared the full list of players in contention for football's most prestigious individual award, which honours the best performer of the season. Fans can review the complete selection to see which players made the cut for this year's prize.