Villarreal and Senegal midfielder Pape Gueye has declared himself “inevitably a candidate” for the African Ballon d’Or, which will be awarded on 7 December in Lagos, before Villarreal host PSG in early November.
Pape Gueye does not mince his words. The Villarreal and Senegal midfielder has positioned himself, according to Foot-sur7, as “inevitably a candidate” for the African Ballon d’Or, whose ceremony is scheduled for 7 December in Lagos. It is an ambition he is making clear a little over a month before the event.
At 27, the former Marseille player, who came through the club’s academy before joining Villarreal, believes that “the Ballon d’Or is part of my goals”. He refuses, however, to campaign for it: “I’m not someone who is going to sell myself. It’s not up to me to vote, we’ll see”, he told Foot-sur7.
A decisive goal in the AFCON final
Gueye scored the only goal of the AFCON final against hosts Morocco in extra time: 1-0. That victory, on 18 January, was the Lions of Teranga’s second continental title.
“I knew how to score at important moments, for the history of my country,” he told Foot-sur7.
A full season in La Liga
At the end of May, the midfielder was voted best African player of the 2025/2026 La Liga season with 38% of the votes, ahead of Iñaki Williams (24%) and Nicolas Pépé (22%), his Villarreal teammate. Across the league season as a whole, his record stands at 30 matches, 5 goals and 2 assists.
That total includes a goal in the 5-1 rout of Atlético on the final matchday. Collectively, Villarreal finished third in La Liga and returned to the Champions League. Gueye also reopened his account on the first matchday of the new season, in mid-August.
Competition announced
Foot-sur7 names Achraf Hakimi, the outgoing winner, Victor Osimhen, Ismaïla Sarr and Ismael Saibari among the favourites, without mentioning Gueye in that list.
The calendar is tight: Villarreal host PSG in the Champions League in early November, before the Lagos ceremony, scheduled for 7 December 2026.