Antoine Semenyo Excluded from Ballon d'Or Shortlist Following Tough World Cup

Sports News of Tuesday, 8 September 2026 Source: Webbers Choice 2026-09-08 « Prev Next » Comments (0) Listen to Article Ghana star Antoine Semenyo did not make the 2026 Ballon d'Or shortlist. This is surprising given his impressive club season with Manchester City. Semenyo was seen as Ghana's best chance for the 30-man list after a strong 2025/26 campaign. He scored 17 goals and provided four assists in 37 Premier League matches. He played for both Bournemouth and Manchester City during this time. Semenyo contributed to City's trophy-winning season, winning the Carabao Cup and FA Cup. He notably scored the winning goal in the FA Cup final. However, his exclusion from the Ballon d'Or list follows a disappointing World Cup with Ghana. The Black Stars were eliminated in the Round of 32, scoring only two goals in four matches. Semenyo started all four games but did not score or assist any goals. He also had no shots on target throughout the tournament. His World Cup ended with four appearances and 360 minutes without contributions. Ghana's early exit likely affected Semenyo's chances as voters considered performances from qualifying rounds. The omission means Ghana has no players among the 30 nominees for the men's Ballon d'Or this year. Senegal's Sadio Mane and Morocco's Achraf Hakimi are the only African representatives on the shortlist. For Semenyo, this omission comes despite a season marked by strong Premier League statistics and significant contributions to major trophies. Comments: This article has no comments yet, be the first to comment