African Ballon d’Or Nominees: History, Highlights, & 2025 Hopefuls

Africa has been desperately pursuing the Ballon d'Or dream ever since George Weah's remarkable victory in 1995. Following in his footsteps, a number of African celebrities have received nominations, close calls, and general praise. 

Join us as we go over the pivotal events, exceptional players, and up-and-coming candidates preserving the continent's chance in 2025, while fresh names enter the race.

George Weah (Liberia): The Trailblazer

Weah's remarkable seasons with PSG and AC Milan, where he scored 18 European goals and won league and cup titles, made him not just the first Black African but also the first non-European to win the Ballon d'Or in 1995.

Klinsmann, playing for Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich, finished second, and Litmanen, of Ajax, finished third.

His victory is still seen as the pinnacle of Ballon history on the continent and will serve as a source of inspiration for decades to come.

Close Calls: African Nominees Who Caught the World's Eye

Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)

Throughout his career, the renowned Cameroonian striker Samuel Eto'o garnered nine nominations for the Ballon d'Or, making him the most nominated African football player. From 2004 to 2012, he received nominations; in 2009, he achieved his highest placing of fifth. 

José Mourinho, the former coach, has openly declared that Eto'o should have received at least one Ballon d'Or.

Even though he didn't win, Eto'o received praise for his several league titles and Champions League victories with Barcelona and Inter Milan.

Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast)

Drogba never won the Ballon d’Or but was nominated eight times in his career over a 12-year period (2004-2012). He only missed out on the nominations in 2008. 

The striker’s best finish was in 2007, when he came up in fourth place behind Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and the winner of that year, Kaka.

Yaya Touré (Ivory Coast)

Ivorian legend Yaya Touré received five nominations for the FIFA Ballon d'Or award throughout his career. In 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, and 2014, he received nominations. He was the only player from Africa to make the 23-man shortlist in 2014.

In 2014 and 2015, he placed 12th in the Ballon d'Or vote, which was his best result. However, he is also known for winning the African Player of the Year award four times in a row from 2011 to 2014.

Riyad Mahrez (Algeria)

Riyad Mahrez has received numerous nominations for the Ballon d'Or. He received nominations in 2016 and placed seventh, as well as in 2021 and 2022. After Leicester City won the Premier League, he and colleague Jamie Vardy were nominated in 2016. 

In 2021 and 2022, he received nominations as a Manchester City player. Along with Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden, Ruben Dias, and Kevin De Bruyne, he was one of six Manchester City players nominated in 2022.

Sadio Mané (Senegal)

Sadio Mané had a beautiful run with the English Premier League’s side, Liverpool, including winning the UEFA Champions League title and helping end the team’s 30-year league title drought by winning the 2019-20 Premier League.

The Senegalese striker climbed to fourth place in the 2019 Ballon d’Or behind Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Virgil Van Dijk. Even though he never won, he got a total of three nominations (2017, 2019, and 2022). He finished second in the 2022 Ballon d’Or, only behind the winner, Karim Benzema and Kevin De Bruyne finishing third.

Mohamed Salah (Egypt)

Mohamed Salah was nominated for the Ballon d'Or five times in a row, from 2018 to 2022. Since he joined Liverpool in 2018, he has received nominations for the coveted accolade each year. 

He continuously finished in the top ten (reaching fifth in 2019 and 2022) after scoring 50+ goals over multiple seasons and helping Liverpool to major trophies. The Egyptian forward is still putting up quite a show for the English side and is among the favourites to win the next Ballon d’Or.

Modern Nominees and Emerging Talent

Victor Osimhen (Nigeria)

Victor Osimhen received one Ballon d’Or nomination in 2023 for his outstanding play with Serie A’s side, Napoli, where he helped them win the League title and won the Golden Boot.

In the men's division, he became the first player from Nigeria to receive a nomination for the coveted award. Ultimately, he finished in eighth place.

The Nigerian international is yet to choose his destination for the 2025-26 season, but his loan season at Galatasaray was bliss, scoring 33 goals and providing 7 assists in 37 appearances. The future of the player in winning the Ballon d’Or is definitely bright.

Ademola Lookman (Nigeria)

In 2024, Ademola Lookman was nominated for one Ballon d'Or. That year, he was the only player from Africa to receive a nomination for the prestigious award. 

The nomination acknowledged his contributions to the Nigerian national team as well as his exceptional play for Atalanta, which included a hat-trick in the Europa League final. In the final rankings, he came in at number 14.

The 27-year-old striker, still full of energy and going at it, has future opportunities to bag more nominations, and even better, to win the award.