By Excellence Oseose
Two African goalkeepers have been nominated among the final 10 contenders for the 2026 Ballon d’Or Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year award.
Cape Verde’s Vozinha and Senegal’s Édouard Mendy made the shortlist released on Tuesday following their performances during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Vozinha, 40, earned recognition for his displays with Cape Verde, while Mendy also impressed with Senegal during the tournament.
They will compete against Argentina’s Emiliano Martínez, Morocco’s Yassine Bounou, Belgium’s Thibaut Courtois and six other goalkeepers for the individual prize.
The winner of the award is expected to be announced next month in London.
The full list of nominees is:
Yassine Bounou – Morocco
Thibaut Courtois – Belgium
Joan García – Spain
Gregor Kobel – Switzerland
Emiliano Martínez – Argentina
Édouard Mendy – Senegal
David Raya – Spain
Matvey Safonov – Russia
Unai Simón – Spain
Vozinha – Cape Verde
