Twenty African countries have been deemed eligible to vote for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, an annual football award presented by France Football. The eligibility is based on the countries' rankings in the top 100 of the FIFA men’s world ranking. According to France Football, the men’s Ballon d’Or is decided by an international jury of specialised journalists, with one representative from each of the 100 highest-ranked nations in the FIFA men’s world ranking.
The 2026 regulations state that the FIFA ranking in effect on September 8 was used to determine the jury. Each journalist will select and rank 10 players from the 30 Ballon d’Or nominees. The first-ranked player receives 15 points, followed by 12, 10, eight, seven, five, four, three, two and one point for the 10th choice. This system allows for a comprehensive and fair evaluation of the top players.
The 20 African nations represented in the 100-country jury are: Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Cameroon, Mali, South Africa, Tunisia, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Guinea, Gabon, Angola, Uganda, Zambia, and Benin. These countries have demonstrated a strong football presence, with several teams consistently ranking high in the FIFA men’s world ranking.
Several prominent African journalists have been publicly identified as Ballon d’Or voters. Nigeria’s representative is Samm Audu, who reports for Score Nigeria. Ghana’s vote will be cast by Michael Oti Adjei, a celebrated sports broadcaster and head of sports at Media General. Egypt’s veteran journalist, Inas Mazhar, a former CAF Media Officer, will also be voting. Other notable journalists include Mark Gleeson from South Africa and Mustapha Badri from Morocco.
The Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place in London on October 26, when the winner of the men’s award will be announced. The award covers performances during the 2025-26 season, including domestic and international competitions. The reference period for the award ran from August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026, and includes the 2026 World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations.
France Football maintains data privacy for the complete individual roster until full voting charts are published post-ceremony. This ensures that the voting process remains confidential until the winner is announced. The organisation has a reputation for fairness and transparency in its voting process.
The remaining 80 countries in the top 100 are from Europe, Asia, North America, South America, and Oceania. With the voting process underway, football fans around the world are eagerly anticipating the announcement of the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner.
Key points
- The 2026 Ballon d’Or will be awarded based on performances during the 2025-26 season.
- Twenty African countries are eligible to vote for the 2026 Ballon d’Or.
- The Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place in London on October 26.
