The 30-player shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d’Or will be announced on Tuesday, with Achraf Hakimi, Ismaila Sarr, Ismael Saibari and Antoine Semenyo among the African players expected to have strong claims.
The announcement will reveal which player is best placed to succeed Ousmane Dembele, while also showing whether Africa can improve on last year’s representation.
Three African players were included among the nominees in 2025: Mohamed Salah, Hakimi and Serhou Guirassy. Salah led the continent’s challenge by finishing fourth, but the group of leading contenders is expected to look significantly different this year.
Hakimi appears almost certain to feature again. The Morocco captain added another UEFA Champions League title to his honours with PSG and also won the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations with the Lions of the Atlas, subject to the outcome of proceedings before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
That combination of major club and international achievements could make the full-back one of Africa’s strongest candidates and perhaps even a contender for a place near the top of the final rankings.
Sarr also has a compelling case. The Senegal winger won the UEFA Conference League with Crystal Palace and was named the competition’s best player. He then helped Senegal reach the Africa Cup of Nations final before producing an impressive World Cup campaign in which he scored four goals.
His proposed transfer to Liverpool ultimately collapsed, but that has no bearing on his individual performance during the period under consideration.
Another serious possibility is Ismael Saibari. Before an injury ruled him out of Morocco’s World Cup quarter-final against France, the midfielder had been the Lions of the Atlas’ leading scorer at the tournament, with three goals.
His club form strengthened his case further. Saibari was named Eredivisie Player of the Year before moving to Bayern Munich, where he made an impressive start.
Ghana forward Semenyo could also make the list after scoring 17 goals in the Premier League. He scored 10 for Bournemouth and added seven following his transfer to Manchester City, making him the highest-scoring African player across Europe’s five major leagues.
His relatively quiet World Cup in front of goal may, however, affect where he places among the nominees.
Ivory Coast’s Yan Diomande is another potential inclusion. His emergence at RB Leipzig and high-profile move to Real Madrid have transformed his standing, although his profile may fit more naturally with the award for breakthrough player of the year than with the leading Ballon d’Or contenders.
Further down the list, the cases appear less straightforward. Victor Osimhen and Guirassy may have been disadvantaged by their national teams’ failure to qualify for the World Cup. Sadio Mane, despite helping Senegal reach the Africa Cup of Nations final, also appears to be starting from further back in the race.
Africa had three players among the 30 nominees in 2025. Hakimi and Sarr seem well positioned to return, while Saibari and Semenyo have substantial claims. Diomande could provide the surprise inclusion when the shortlist is announced on Tuesday.