Ghana star Antoine Semenyo has missed out on the 2026 Ballon d’Or shortlist despite an impressive club season that saw him win two trophies with Manchester City.
Semenyo was widely regarded as Ghana’s strongest hope of making the 30-man shortlist after an outstanding 2025/26 campaign.
The forward scored 17 goals and provided four assists in 37 Premier League appearances for Bournemouth and Manchester City, before playing a role in City’s trophy-winning campaign.
He won both the Carabao Cup and FA Cup with Manchester City and scored the winning goal in the FA Cup final.
However, his omission from the Ballon d’Or list comes after a disappointing World Cup campaign with Ghana.
The Black Stars were eliminated in the Round of 32 after scoring just two goals across their four matches. Semenyo started all four games but failed to score or provide an assist. He also registered no shots on target during the tournament.
His World Cup campaign ended with four appearances and 360 minutes without a goal or assist
Ghana’s early exit may have worked against Semenyo as voters considered performances across the qualifying period.
The 26-year-old’s omission means Ghana has no player among the 30 nominees for the men’s Ballon d’Or.
Senegal’s Sadio Mane and Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi are the two African representatives on the shortlist.
For Semenyo, the omission comes despite a season in which he combined strong Premier League numbers with two major trophies and a decisive FA Cup final contribution.
Source: Soccernet
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