Yassine Bounou, Thibaut Courtois and Vozinha shortlisted for Ballon d’Or goalkeeper award

Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou is among the 10 nominees for the Ballon d’Or award for the world’s best goalkeeper.

The Al Hilal goalkeeper will compete against Real Madrid’s Belgium international Thibaut Courtois and Cape Verde international Vozinha, who plays for Chilean club Colo-Colo.

The Ballon d’Or ceremony is held annually to recognise the best players and teams in world football. This year’s goalkeeper shortlist includes three players from Spain, as well as nominees representing Belgium, Cape Verde, Switzerland, Argentina, Senegal and Russia.

The 10 contenders for the best goalkeeper award are:

– Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal) – Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid) – Vozinha (Colo-Colo) – Joan Garcia (Barcelona) – David Raya (Arsenal) – Unai Simon (Athletic Club) – Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund) – Emiliano Martinez (Chelsea) – Edouard Mendy (Al Ahli) – Matvey Safonov (Paris Saint-Germain)

Bounou is the only Moroccan goalkeeper on the list and represents Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal. Courtois is the Belgian nominee, while Vozinha is the representative of Cape Verde.

Spain has the strongest presence among the nominated countries, with Barcelona goalkeeper Joan Garcia, Arsenal’s David Raya and Athletic Club’s Unai Simon all included.

The remaining nominees come from a wide range of European leagues and clubs. Switzerland’s Gregor Kobel is recognised for his performances with Borussia Dortmund, while Argentina international Emiliano Martinez is nominated as a Chelsea player.

Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, who plays for Al Ahli, and Russia international Matvey Safonov of Paris Saint-Germain complete the list.

The nominations place Bounou in contention alongside a group of goalkeepers from some of the leading clubs represented at the Ballon d’Or ceremony. Courtois, who plays for Real Madrid, is another prominent name among the candidates, while the inclusion of Vozinha gives Cape Verde representation in the race.

The goalkeeper award is one of the prizes presented during the annual Ballon d’Or event, which also includes recognition for the best team in the world. The nominees for that team award have also been revealed as part of the wider announcements surrounding the ceremony.

No winner has yet been identified in the announcement of the goalkeeper nominees. Instead, the 10-player list establishes the contenders for the honour, with Bounou, Courtois, Vozinha, Garcia, Raya, Simon, Kobel, Martinez, Mendy and Safonov all competing for recognition as the world’s best goalkeeper.