Sadio Mané at the Ballon d’Or: His Ranking Year by Year

Sadio Mané finished second in the 2022 Ballon d’Or, the best showing by an African player since George Weah won the award in 1995. First nominated in 2017, he placed 23rd that year, 22nd in 2018 and fourth in 2019, behind Lionel Messi, Virgil van Dijk and Cristiano Ronaldo. His 2019 ranking sparked controversy after he won the Champions League with Liverpool and shared the Premier League Golden Boot with Mohamed Salah and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. Mané was not nominated in 2021, 2023, 2024 or 2025, but returned to the candidate list in 2026.