Hakimi and Mané Make the 2026 Ballon d’Or Shortlist

Achraf Hakimi and Sadio Mané are the only African players named on the 30-man shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d’Or. France Football confirmed the nominations this week, with the winner set to be crowned in London on 26 October. It is the 70th edition of the award, and this will be the first time the ceremony will take place in London.

Hakimi returned to the shortlist following a very productive season with Paris Saint-Germain.

The Moroccan international continued to excel in his right-back role, combining a defensive anchor role with a dynamic outlet in attack. Besides scoring and assisting, he helped Paris Saint-Germain reach the latter stages of the Champions League once again and win the major trophies in France.

According to profiles published alongside the nominations, he recorded four goals and 17 assists across 49 appearances in the 2025-26 campaign. He finished sixth in the 2025 Ballon d’Or voting and has now earned a second consecutive nomination.

Mané’s inclusion follows a different path. The Senegal forward, who finished as Ballon d’Or runner-up in 2019 during his Liverpool peak, has kept his numbers high at Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia. His selection underlines that elite scoring output outside Europe’s traditional leagues can still force its way onto the ballot. Mané also carried significant weight for Senegal at continental level, helping the side claim the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations title and earning Player of the Tournament recognition in that campaign. This marks his fifth career Ballon d’Or nomination.

Paris Saint-Germain leads the pack in club representation, with nine of their players making the final 30-man list. This includes last year’s Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, alongside Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, João Neves, Willian Pacho, Fabián Ruiz, and Vitinha. New signing Ferran Torres is also recognized, though his inclusion primarily reflects his earlier performances with Barcelona. The French champions’ dominance domestically and success in Europe contributed to their significant presence on the 2026 Ballon d’Or shortlist.

The names left out

The absences have significance, particularly in Nigerian football. Victor Osimhen was the subject of wide expectations to feature after his prolific scoring season with Galatasaray. He finished the season with approximately 30 goal contributions across competitions, including a strong Champions League performance. A broken right forearm hampered his progress, sustained in a crushing defeat to Liverpool at Anfield in March. The injury required a cast and cost him six weeks at the most important stage of the European calendar. Nigeria’s failure to qualify for the 2026 World Cup weakened its case during the award’s evaluation period, which runs from August 2025 to July 2026 and places a high value on major international tournament performance.

Ademola Lookman also missed the cut. The winger registered 12 goals and a handful of assists before completing a summer transfer to Atlético Madrid. Domestic numbers alone, without a deep continental run or World Cup stage to amplify them, proved insufficient. Nigerian media, including Punch noted that the snub ends a recent run in which Nigerian players had at least secured some form of individual recognition on the global stage.

The shortlist now moves into the voting phase. One journalist from each of the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations will rank their top ten players from the 30. Points are weighted according to ranking position. National team coaches and captains also contribute. The full process is explained in detail. For Hakimi and Mané, the nomination itself returns them to the centre of the global conversation. Whether either can climb into the upper ranks of the final standings will be settled on the night of 26 October in London.