African footballers from five countries have secured nominations for the 2026 Ballon d’Or awards, with Morocco, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire, Algeria and Cape Verde represented among the contenders.
The nominations cut across the Men’s Young Talent of the Year and Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year categories, highlighting the growing presence of African players on the global football stage.
Morocco has two representatives among the nominees, with Ayyoub Bouaddi shortlisted for the Young Talent award and goalkeeper Yassine Bounou included in the Goalkeeper of the Year category.
Bouaddi, an 18-year-old midfielder who plays for Manchester City, has attracted attention for his performances at both club and international level. Despite previously being eligible to represent France, the youngster opted to play for Morocco.
Côte d’Ivoire’s Yan Diomandé is another African nominee for the Young Talent of the Year prize. The winger impressed during his debut campaign with RB Leipzig, recording 20 goals and assists across competitions.
Algeria is represented by Ibrahim Maza, whose performances for club and country have also earned him recognition among the continent’s emerging talents.
The goalkeeper category features three African stars. Alongside Morocco’s Bounou are Senegal international Édouard Mendy and Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha.
Mendy has previously established himself as one of Africa’s most prominent goalkeepers on the international stage, while Vozinha continues to represent Cape Verde at the highest level.
The nominations provide representation for African football across five nationalities and two award categories, with the continent’s younger generation and established goalkeeping figures both receiving recognition.
The African nominees announced so far are Ayyoub Bouaddi of Morocco, Yan Diomandé of Côte d’Ivoire and Ibrahim Maza of Algeria for Men’s Young Talent of the Year, while Yassine Bounou of Morocco, Édouard Mendy of Senegal and Vozinha of Cape Verde are nominated for Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year.
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held in London on October 26, when winners in the various categories will be announced.
