France Football has revealed the details of the African votes for the 2026 Ballon d’Or. Kylian Mbappe, of Real Madrid, comes out on top for first-choice picks on the continent, while Harry Kane, the winner in London, was only placed first by four countries, including Senegal.
The African vote for the 2026 Ballon d’Or has delivered its verdict, and it does not quite match the final ranking. France Football has published the details of the continent’s journalists’ votes, relayed by CenterKick. This tally allows the choices to be compared country by country, rather than just the overall result.
Among the first-choice picks recorded across the continent, Kylian Mbappe is clearly ahead of the winner, Harry Kane, crowned at a ceremony held in London. The Real Madrid and France forward was placed first by nine African countries, against four for Kane and four also for Lamine Yamal.
Mbappe, first choice in nine countries
The Frenchman’s camp collected the votes of Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Egypt, Ghana, Guinea, Mali, DR Congo and Zambia, according to the tally published by CenterKick. That is nine first-choice picks on the continent, the highest total among the three favourites.
This score contrasts with the final result of the 2026 Ballon d’Or, won by Kane in London. Mbappe was not crowned, but he was the first choice of a good number of African journalists, a result the global ranking does not reflect.
Senegal in Kane’s camp
The winner gathered only four first-choice picks: Senegal, Angola, South Africa and Uganda. A Bayern Munich and England forward, Kane therefore relies on these four countries for his African first-choice votes.
Lamine Yamal is level with the winner on first-choice picks, with four countries: Cape Verde, Burkina Faso, Algeria and Tunisia. The Barcelona and Spain winger thus places behind Mbappe in the votes recorded by CenterKick.
Nigeria goes against the grain
One vote caused a surprise: Nigeria’s. Its representative placed neither Kane, nor Mbappe, nor Yamal first, preferring Rodri, of Barcelona, according to CenterKick. This isolated choice does not alter the hierarchy of African first-choice picks.
This vote fits into a history that has been unkind to Nigeria for this trophy. No Nigerian player has ever reached the Ballon d’Or top 5, Thewillnews recalls. The best ranking remains that of Victor Osimhen, 8th in 2023 with 24 points, and no Nigerian featured in the top 30 of this edition.