When will Africa get its next Ballon d'Or winner?

What the report says

BBC Africa reports that Africa’s long wait for another men’s Ballon d’Or winner is likely to continue after this year’s 30-player shortlist was announced. Senegal forward Sadio Mane and Morocco captain Achraf Hakimi are the only African nominees, and both have previously finished in the top six. The winner will be announced in London on 26 October, with journalists from the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations voting.

The article says Africa has had only one men’s Ballon d’Or winner: Liberia’s George Weah, who won in 1995, the first year the award was open to players from outside Europe. It notes that continental stars have remained in contention over the years, with Mane finishing second in 2022 and other Africans such as Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto’o, Mohamed Salah and Riyad Mahrez recording notable high placements. But the broader history has been limited by the dominance of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for much of the past two decades.

BBC Africa also highlights the numbers behind that record. Since 1995, African players have collected 76 Ballon d’Or nominations, with Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Senegal among the most represented countries. Yet 39 African countries are still waiting for their first nominee, and no player from a club based in Africa has been shortlisted, according to the report.

The piece briefly extends that pattern to the women’s Ballon d’Or as well, saying African representation has been small there too, with only a handful of nominees since the award began in 2018.