Since the inception of the Ballon d’Or in 1956, only one African player has ever lifted the golden trophy: George Weah in 1995. For a continent that has produced some of the most electrifying, skillful, and dominant players in history, this statistic feels wrong. In fact, many fans and pundits argue it is disrespectful.
Was it bad timing? Was it European bias? Or was it simply bad luck?
In this controversial analysis, we look at 5 African icons who had the stats, the trophies, and the talent to be named the Best Player in the World, but were overlooked.
1. Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon) – The 2006 Injustice
The Case: Samuel Eto’o is arguably the greatest African striker of all time. But his treatment in the 2006 Ballon d’Or voting remains a mystery.
In 2005/06, Eto’o was unstoppable.
- He won the Champions League with Barcelona (scoring in the final).
- He won La Liga.
- He was the Pichichi (Top Scorer) in Spain with 26 goals.
The Result: He finished 6th. The award went to Fabio Cannavaro (due to the World Cup), but Eto’o finishing behind players who had worse seasons was shocking. Eto’o himself has famously said that being African made it harder for him to get the recognition he deserved compared to his Brazilian or European teammates.
2. Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast) – The 2012 Miracle
The Case: The Ballon d’Or often favors players who win the biggest trophies. In 2012, nobody defined “winning” more than Didier Drogba.
He almost single-handedly dragged an aging Chelsea team to Champions League glory. He scored the equalizer in the final against Bayern Munich and the winning penalty. He was the ultimate “big game player.”
The Result: He finished 8th. Lionel Messi won (after scoring 91 goals), which is understandable statistically. However, for sheer impact and leadership, seeing Drogba outside the top 3 felt like a dismissal of his heroic campaign.
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3. Sadio Mané (Senegal) – The 2019 Peak
The Case: In 2019, Sadio Mané was arguably the most complete forward in the world.
- He won the Champions League with Liverpool.
- He was the Premier League Golden Boot winner.
- He led Senegal to the AFCON final.
Lionel Messi, who won the award that year, even voted for Mané as his number one choice!
The Result: He finished 4th. He finished behind Messi, Van Dijk, and Ronaldo. Many argued that if Mané were European or South American, his 2019 season would have guaranteed him at least a Top 2 finish.
4. Mohamed Salah (Egypt) – The 2018 Explosion
The Case: When Mo Salah arrived at Liverpool, nobody expected him to break the Premier League scoring record in his debut season.
- He scored 44 goals in all competitions.
- He carried Liverpool to the Champions League final.
- He was unplayable.
The Result: He finished 6th. Luka Modric won the award (breaking the Messi/Ronaldo duopoly). While Modric was brilliant at the World Cup, Salah’s individual performance over the 38-game league season was historically great. To finish 6th was seen as a major snub for the “Egyptian King.”
5. Yaya Touré (Ivory Coast) – The 2014 Powerhouse
The Case: Midfielders often get ignored for these awards, but Yaya Touré in the 2013/14 season was a force of nature.
- As a central midfielder, he scored 20 goals in the Premier League.
- He drove Manchester City to the title with a mix of power and finesse that the league had never seen before.
The Result: He finished 14th. Fourteenth! This is often cited as one of the worst voting decisions in history. For a midfielder to score 20 goals and win the toughest league in the world, only to barely make the Top 15, showed a complete lack of appreciation for his dominance.
Conclusion: Is There a Bias?
The numbers don’t lie. African players have consistently performed at the highest level, winning the biggest trophies and breaking scoring records. Yet, George Weah remains the lonely figure at the top.
With Victor Osimhen and other rising stars, we hope the drought ends soon. But looking back at Eto’o, Drogba, and Touré, it is hard not to feel that history owes Africa a few more Golden Balls.
Do you agree? Who was the most “robbed” player on this list? Tell us in the comments!
