Nigeria will be represented on the voting panel for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, joining 19 other African countries selected based on their positions in the FIFA men’s world ranking.
The 100-member international jury is made up of specialist football journalists, with one representative from each of the top 100 nations in the FIFA ranking at the time the Ballon d’Or nominees were announced on September 8, 2026.
Nigeria is ranked 26th globally and is the fourth-highest-ranked African country on the list.
The 20 African nations eligible to vote, along with their FIFA rankings, are:
- Morocco — 6th
- Senegal — 18th
- Egypt — 24th
- Nigeria — 26th
- Algeria — 29th
- Côte d’Ivoire — 31st
- DR Congo — 41st
- Cameroon — 43rd
- Mali — 53rd
- South Africa — 54th
- Tunisia — 57th
- Burkina Faso — 62nd
- Cabo Verde — 64th
- Ghana — 65th
- Guinea — 81st
- Gabon — 84th
- Angola — 87th
- Uganda — 89th
- Zambia — 90th
- Benin — 94th
According to the Ballon d’Or regulations published by French sports publication L’Équipe, voting will be conducted by an international panel of specialist journalists.
Each juror will assess the 30 players shortlisted for the men’s award and select 10 in order of preference. The nominees are chosen by France Football and L’Équipe editorial staff, alongside UEFA ambassadors and at least one member of the previous year’s jury.
The voting points will be distributed according to position. A first-place selection earns 15 points, while the second receives 12 points. The remaining positions receive 10, eight, seven, five, four, three, two and one point respectively.
The player with the highest overall points total will be crowned the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner.
The regulations also outline how ties will be resolved. If players finish level on points, the number of first-place votes will be considered first, followed by second-place votes, third-place votes and subsequent rankings until the tie is broken.
Any dispute concerning the voting process will be handled by the editor-in-chief of France Football, which organises the award.
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled for October 26 in London, where the winner of the men’s award will be announced.
The award will recognise performances during the 2025–26 season, covering the period from August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026. Performances at major international tournaments during the assessment period, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations, will also be taken into consideration.
