Here is how African players fared in the final Ballon d’Or rankings

Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi and Senegal forward Sadio Mané were the two African players who featured in the final men’s rankings of the 2026 Ballon d’Or, with both missing out on a place in the top 10.

Hakimi finished 13th, while Mané placed joint 29th alongside Arsenal defender William Saliba as England and Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane claimed the prestigious individual award for the first time in his career.

The results represent a drop in Africa’s representation near the top of the rankings compared with the 2025 edition, when Egypt’s Mohamed Salah finished fourth and Hakimi placed sixth.

Hakimi’s 13th-place finish comes despite an impressive campaign with Paris Saint-Germain, with whom he won the UEFA Champions League.

The Moroccan right-back had finished sixth in 2025 but dropped seven places in this year’s final standings.

Mané, meanwhile, returned to the Ballon d’Or rankings after a four-year absence.

The Senegal international finished joint 29th following a season in which he helped Al-Nassr win the Saudi Pro League title and was named the best player at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.

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However, his position was his lowest in five Ballon d’Or nominations. Mané previously finished fourth in 2019 and second in 2022, when he was beaten to the award by French striker Karim Benzema.

Beyond the men’s main award, Africa also had representatives in other categories.

Ivory Coast youngster Yan Diomandé was among the top 10 nominees for the Kopa Trophy, which recognises the best young player, while Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, Senegal’s Édouard Mendy and Cape Verde’s Vozinha were nominated for the Yachine Trophy.

In the women’s category, Malawi’s Temwa Chawinga finished 10th, while Zambia forward Barbra Banda placed 18th in the final Ballon d’Or rankings.

Liberian legend George Weah remains the only African footballer to have won the men’s Ballon d’Or, achieving the feat in 1995.

Mané’s second-place finish in 2022 remains the closest an African player has come to winning the award since then.

PAH/EB

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