Messi Aims to Honor Africa with 2026 Ballon d'Or Win

Voting for the 2026 Ballon d'Or closes on September 28, as France Football's editor-in-chief begins compiling results for the award ceremony. France announced the voting period on September 8, allowing voters 20 days to make their selections.

The voting panel consists of journalists from the top 100 countries in the FIFA world rankings, with the rankings used being those published on July 20, 2026. Based on these rankings, 20 African nations, including Morocco, Senegal, Algeria, Egypt, Côte d'Ivoire, Cameroon, Tunisia, DR Congo, Mali, South Africa, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Ghana, Guinea, Gabon, Angola, Uganda, Zambia, and Benin, are eligible to vote.

Each country will have a designated journalist submit votes, with a maximum of 300 points available from Africa if a candidate tops all ballots. Lionel Messi has publicly stated his intention to dedicate the Ballon d'Or to Africa if he wins, referencing his Cameroonian heritage.

The final results will be confirmed after the voting deadline.