Nigeria will have a say in the selection of the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner after earning a place among the 100 countries represented on the award’s international voting jury.
The African nations earned their places after ranking among the top 100 countries in the FIFA men’s world ranking used to determine the composition of the jury. Nigeria was ranked 26th when the nominee lists were published on September 8, 2026.
The country is one of 20 African nations eligible to vote, having ranked 26th in the FIFA men’s world ranking
Other African countries represented on the jury include Morocco, Senegal, Egypt, Algeria, Côte d’Ivoire, DR Congo, Cameroon, Mali, South Africa, Tunisia, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Ghana, Guinea, Gabon, Angola, Uganda, Zambia and Benin.
The voting panel is made up 100 specialist football journalists, with one representative from each of the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations.
The ranking in effect when the Ballon d’Or nominees were announced on September 8, 2026, is used for the selection.
Each juror will select 10 players from the 30 nominees and rank them in order of preference.
The first-ranked player receives 15 points, followed by 12, 10, eight, seven, five, four, three, two and one point for the remaining positions.
Among the African journalists publicly identified as voters are:
Nigeria: Samm Audu
Ghana: Michael Oti Adjei,
Egypt’s : Inas Mazhar
South Africa: Mark Gleeson
Morocco: Mustapha Badri.
The Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place on October 26 in London, with the prize recognising performances during the 2025-26 season.
The award covers performances from August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026, including major domestic and international competitions, the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations
The player who collects the most points from the international jury will be crowned the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner.
