CAF has unveiled the ten nominees for the 2026 African Ballon d’Or, with Achraf Hakimi, captain of PSG and Morocco, installed as the press favourite. Brahim Díaz and Sadio Mané are also among the contenders.
The Confederation of African Football published on 3 November the list of ten players in the running for the 2026 African Ballon d’Or. It includes Achraf Hakimi, the Morocco international right-back and captain of PSG and Morocco, whose name keeps coming up.
Morocco and Senegal out in force
According to Footmercato and Marca, the Paris defender is the clear favourite after a season that ended with a Champions League triumph with the French capital club. This is a media assessment, not a certainty: no winner has yet been announced.
Behind Hakimi, Brahim Díaz, the Real Madrid forward, is nominated after finishing as top scorer at the last Africa Cup of Nations, reports Marca.
According to wiwsport and Marca, Morocco and Senegal each have three contenders. On the Senegalese side, Sadio Mané (Al Nassr), Ismaïla Sarr (Crystal Palace) and Pape Gueye (Villarreal) are on the list.
The other five names are Amad Diallo (Manchester United), Yoane Wissa (Newcastle), Antoine Semenyo (Manchester City), Ismaël Saibari (Bayern Munich) and Teboho Mokoena (Mamelodi Sundowns), according to Marca.
Mané one crown away from Diouf’s record
Sadio Mané, the Senegal international forward, is already a two-time winner, in 2019 and 2022. A third crown would make him a triple winner and take him past El Hadji Diouf, crowned in 2001 and 2002, wiwsport notes.
Against him, Hakimi remains the name highlighted by Footmercato and Marca, who put him at the top of the list. The final ranking is not yet known at this stage.
Bounou among the goalkeepers
Among the goalkeepers, Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal) is one of the ten nominees, having already received the distinction in 2023 and 2025, le360 reports. Ronwen Williams (Mamelodi Sundowns) and Édouard Mendy (Al-Ahli) are also named by le360 and Footmercato.
The CAF Awards 2026 ceremony is expected on Monday 7 December in Lagos, Nigeria, according to le360. This date rests on a single source and remains to be confirmed.