Senegal: Pape Gueye dreams of the African Ballon d’Or

Pape Gueye wants to have his name added to the roll of honour

Africa Today at 07:24

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Senegal: Pape Gueye dreams of the African Ballon d’Or

After an impressive season with Villarreal and the Senegal national team, Pape Gueye has high ambitions for the 2026 African Ballon d’Or. The midfielder is openly embracing his objective and now awaits the outcome of the vote.

Pape Gueye wants to have his name added to the roll of honour of the African Ballon d’Or. The Senegal international is no longer hiding his ambitions for the 2026 edition of the prestigious individual award presented by the Confederation of African Football (CAF).

In an interview with Canal+ Afrique, the former Olympique de Marseille midfielder clearly expressed his desire to win the accolade.

“It’s true that the African Ballon d’Or is one of my objectives. Now, we’ll wait for the votes,” he said.

A year marked by important performances

In Villarreal colours, Pape Gueye is continuing his career in Spain with performances that are raising his profile on the European stage. With the national team, the Senegalese player has also stood out, notably during the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, won by the Lions of Teranga.

His decisive goal in the final against Morocco made a particularly strong impression. The strike strengthened his standing among the Senegalese players who made the biggest impact at the tournament.

At 27, the midfielder therefore has several arguments to support his candidacy for the continental award.

Strong competition for the award

The race for the 2026 African Ballon d’Or promises to be closely contested. Several internationals are among the names being mentioned in discussions, notably Achraf Hakimi, Ismaïla Sarr and Ismael Saibari.

Pape Gueye will in particular have to rely on recognition of his performances for both club and country if he is to convince the voters.

🚨 PAPE GUEYE 🇸🇳 RÊVE DU BALLON D’OR AFRICAIN ! 🏆

Auteur de belles performances avec Villarreal et le Sénégal, le milieu de terrain affiche clairement ses ambitions pour cette année.

🗣️ « C’est vrai que le Ballon d’Or africain fait partie de mes objectifs. Maintenant, on va… pic.twitter.com/cY8ZF3D3fI
— Foot Mercato (@footmercato) October 30, 2026

The Senegalese player has now made his objective clear. It remains to be seen whether his performances this year will allow him to succeed the latest winner and join the ranks of African players honoured by CAF.

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