African Ballon d'Or: CAF sets its Awards for December 7, 2026, in Lagos

The Confederation of African Football (CAF) will hold the 2026 CAF Awards ceremony on Monday, December 7, 2026, in Lagos, Nigeria. The date was set by the organization's executive committee, reports Africa Top Sports.

Two major events in Nigeria

The gala, which notably crowns the African Player of the Year, will not be the only major Nigerian moment on the continental calendar. According to Africa Top Sports, CAF has also scheduled its ordinary general assembly for Saturday, November 21, 2026, in Nigeria. Within the span of three weeks, the continent's most populous country will therefore be the hub for both the governance and the celebration of African football.

The ceremony will be held at the Wole Soyinka Centre for Culture and the Creative Arts in Lagos, indicates Afrik-Foot, which notes that this is the first gala organized in Nigeria since 2015, ending an eleven-year wait. The choice of venue is not neutral: naming the home of the continental Ballon d'Or after the first African Nobel Prize winner in literature embraces the link between African sporting and cultural excellence.

Who will succeed Achraf Hakimi?

During the previous edition, Moroccan Achraf Hakimi was crowned African Player of the Year and Moroccan Ghizlane Chebbak was named best female player, according to Afrik-Foot. Morocco had largely dominated the awards.

Among the candidates mentioned for 2026, the Senegalese press cites Ismaïla Sarr as one of the favorites, according to SenePlus. For the time being, CAF has not published the lists of nominees or the criteria selected for this edition: several awards will be presented to players, coaches, clubs, and national teams, reminds Kawarji.

A trophy that reflects the state of football on the continent

Beyond the protocol, the CAF Awards remain the only event where Africa rewards its own talents without going through the filter of European votes and rankings. Every year, the same debate returns: are players competing in African leagues judged by the same standards as stars in the Premier League or La Liga?

The choice of Lagos, the economic capital of a country that has given the continent several African Ballon d'Or winners, also puts pressure on the Nigerian organizers. The answer is expected on December 7, 2026.