Three African goalkeepers have earned nominations for the 2026 Yashin Trophy, with Morocco’s Yassine Bounou, Senegal’s Édouard Mendy and Cape Verde’s Vozinha making the 10-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or goalkeeper award.
France Football announced the nominees on Tuesday, with the trio representing Africa in a highly competitive field that also features Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois, Arsenal’s David Raya, Barcelona’s Joan García, Athletic Club’s Unai Simón, Borussia Dortmund’s Gregor Kobel, Emiliano Martínez and Matvey Safonov.
The award recognises performances between August 2025 and July 2026, including displays at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Vozinha’s inclusion comes after an impressive World Cup campaign with debutants Cape Verde. The 40-year-old goalkeeper attracted considerable attention with his performances against eventual champions Spain and Argentina.
He helped Cape Verde hold Spain to a goalless draw before producing another strong showing against Argentina in the Round of 32. Cape Verde eventually bowed out after a 3-2 extra-time defeat.
The veteran goalkeeper was subsequently selected in FIFA’s fan-voted World Cup Dream Team.
Vozinha also experienced a remarkable rise in global popularity during the tournament, with his social media following reportedly increasing from fewer than 50,000 before the competition to almost 29 million.
The Cape Verde captain was without a club during the World Cup but later joined Chilean giants Colo-Colo weeks after the tournament.
Bounou, meanwhile, continues to enhance his reputation as one of Africa’s leading goalkeepers. The Morocco international and former CAF award winner has maintained a high standard of performance for Saudi Arabian side Al Hilal and the Atlas Lions.
Mendy, a former Chelsea No. 1 and experienced Senegal international, also remains one of the continent’s most accomplished goalkeepers, having enjoyed considerable success at both club and international level.
The Yashin Trophy winner will be announced as part of the 2026 Ballon d’Or awards.
