2026 Ballon d’Or: “For me, it’s Mbappé!” Adebayor names his favorite and assesses Africa’s chances

Emmanuel Adebayor backs Kylian Mbappé for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, saying the French forward was the top scorer in the competitions he entered, including La Liga, the Champions League and the World Cup. The former Togo international argues that statistics and decisive contributions should carry the most weight in an individual award. He also believes an African player can win the Ballon d’Or again, last claimed by George Weah in 1995, although Achraf Hakimi and Sadio Mané are not among this year’s favorites.