CAF Awards 2026: African Ballon d’Or winner to be crowned in Lagos on 7 December

The CAF Awards 2026 ceremony will take place in Lagos on Monday, 7 December 2026, with the successor to the last African Ballon d’Or winner set to be announced at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and Creative Arts.

The date and venue were confirmed by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), bringing an end to uncertainty over when and where the Confederation of African Football’s annual awards ceremony would be held.

The event will be one of two major CAF occasions staged in Nigeria later this year. Abuja is scheduled to host the organisation’s 48th Ordinary General Assembly on 21 November at the Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre.

Preparations for both events are now gathering pace. A 15-member CAF delegation responsible for inspecting infrastructure for upcoming major competitions and ceremonies visited Shehu Dikko, president of the National Sports Commission, on Tuesday.

The group is due to carry out a second and final inspection of the facilities in Lagos. The assessment will also cover Abuja ahead of the general assembly, as CAF continues to oversee arrangements for the two gatherings.

Hakimi among early contenders

Although CAF has not yet released the official list of nominees, several players are already emerging as potential contenders for the men’s award.

Achraf Hakimi is considered a leading candidate. The Paris Saint-Germain right-back has established himself as a global reference point in his position and has continued to perform at the highest level.

Sadio Mane is another player with a strong case. While the Senegal international has been less prominent than during the peak of his career, he played an important role for the Lions of Teranga at the Africa Cup of Nations in January before helping Al-Nassr win the Saudi championship.

His international team-mate Ismaila Sarr could also enter the conversation. The Crystal Palace player was not included among the 30 nominees for the Ballon d’Or, despite what the source describes as an excellent season, but his performances for both Senegal and his club give him grounds to be considered.

The eventual shortlist remains unknown, meaning any ranking of the leading candidates is provisional. The key detail, however, is now settled: the next African Ballon d’Or winner will be named in Lagos on 7 December.