Three Moroccan footballers will be watching closely on Monday evening. The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony takes place on October 26 in London, and Achraf Hakimi, Yassine Bounou and Ayyoub Bouaddi all appear in the nominee lists.
The Moroccan names
- Achraf Hakimi of Paris Saint-Germain is one of the 30 players on the men’s Ballon d’Or list, according to beIN Sports.
- Yassine Bounou, now at Al Hilal, is on the men’s goalkeeper list. Morocco World News describes it as the Yashin Trophy shortlist, which it says also includes Thibaut Courtois, Emiliano Martínez, David Raya, Edouard Mendy and Unai Simón.
- Ayyoub Bouaddi of Manchester City is on the young player list, which Morocco World News calls the Kopa Trophy race, alongside names such as Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí.
What to know about the night
Morocco World News reports that the 70th edition will be held at the London Palladium, the first time London hosts the event after years in Paris. It is set to start at 8 p.m. GMT, with Thierry Henry and Kate Scott presenting and a tribute to Stanley Matthews, the first winner in 1956.
The same report says the voting covered performances between August 3, 2025 and July 19, 2026, with journalists from the top 100 FIFA-ranked countries voting for the men’s award. Names mentioned among the wider men’s nominees include Ousmane Dembélé, the reigning winner, Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane and Erling Haaland.
A busy month for Moroccan football
The nominations arrive as Moroccan football stays in the headlines. The national team hosts Niger in November in AFCON qualifying, and Raja Casablanca have reached the CAF Confederation Cup group stage. Winners will be announced on the night.
Sources: Morocco World News; beIN Sports
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