African goalkeepers and the Ballon d'Or.. Why does the difficulty of winning the Yashin Trophy persist?

African goalkeepers missed out on the Yashin Trophy once again on Monday 26 October as Spain's Unai Simón won the 2026 award despite three African nominees making the final shortlist.

The Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper was crowned at the Ballon d'Or ceremony in London adding the prestigious individual honour to his World Cup triumph with Spain.

His victory extended Africa's wait for a first winner of the award, introduced by France Football in 2019.

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Three African goalkeepers, but no Yashin Trophy in 2026

Africa entered the 2026 ceremony with significant representation, as Yassine Bounou, Edouard Mendy and Vozinha were among the ten nominees.

However, none managed to reach the podium.

Cape Verde's Vozinha achieved the continent's highest finish in sixth place, followed by Morocco's Bounou in eighth and Senegal's Mendy in ninth.

Their nominations reflected three different achievements during the season.

Bounou maintained impressive consistency with Al Hilal, recording 30 clean sheets in 58 appearances.

Mendy registered 28 clean sheets in 56 matches for Al Ahli and helped Senegal win the Africa Cup of Nations while also adding the AFC Champions League to his honours.

Meanwhile, Vozinha's performances during Cape Verde's historic World Cup campaign earned him international recognition.

The 40 year old goalkeeper had previously expressed surprise at his Yashin Trophy nomination, describing it as recognition for his country's achievements.

Edouard Mendy and Yassine Bounou: Africa's closest attempts

Despite repeated nominations, no African goalkeeper has won the Yashin Trophy since its introduction.

Senegal's Édouard Mendy came closest in 2021 finishing second behind Italy's Gianluigi Donnarumma.

That year, Mendy had helped Chelsea win the UEFA Champions League, establishing himself among Europe's leading goalkeepers.

Two years later, Bounou finished third in the 2023 rankings after his outstanding performances for Morocco at the World Cup 2022 and his Europa League triumph with Sevilla.

The Moroccan subsequently finished fifth in the 2025 Yashin Trophy rankings before slipping to eighth in 2026.

South Africa's Ronwen Williams also made history in 2024 by becoming the first goalkeeper playing for an African club to receive a nomination.

These results demonstrate that African goalkeepers have repeatedly earned international recognition without converting those performances into the award itself.

Why does winning the Yashin Trophy remain so difficult?

The explanation lies partly in the award's competitive structure and the importance attached to performances in major international tournaments.

Under France Football's official 2026 regulations, three factors determine the winner, in descending order of importance:

• Individual performances and decisive contributions
• Collective achievements and trophies won
• Class and fair play

Each journalist on the international voting panel selects only three goalkeepers from the ten nominees, awarding five, three and one point respectively.

Consequently, being consistently excellent throughout a season does not automatically guarantee a high ranking.

The 2026 results offer an interesting example.

Bounou recorded 30 clean sheets, compared with 22 for eventual winner Simón. However, the Spanish goalkeeper combined his club performances with a World Cup triumph and the tournament's Golden Glove award.

Clean sheet totals also require context because goalkeepers face different opponents, defensive systems and competition schedules.

Visibility in major competitions may influence how individual performances are remembered by voters, although the official regulations do not favour any particular league or nationality.

Mendy's second place finish in 2021, despite winning the Champions League, also shows that European club success alone does not guarantee victory.

Can Africa finally produce a Yashin Trophy winner?

The 2026 edition demonstrates that African goalkeepers remain capable of challenging the world's elite.

Vozinha's sixth place finish is particularly significant because his recognition came through international performances rather than participation in Europe's biggest domestic leagues.

The success of Mendy and Bounou in previous editions also suggests there is no single route to the award.

Khaled Hegazy |

Editorar, en

Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.

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Cape Verde

Morocco

Senegal