Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha has earned a place among the nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or Best Goalkeeper award, putting the veteran shot-stopper alongside some of the biggest names in world football.
The Colo-Colo goalkeeper was included in France Football’s 10-man shortlist for the prestigious award, which recognises the best goalkeeping performances from the past season.
Vozinha faces competition from Morocco and Al-Hilal star Yassine Bounou, Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois, Barcelona’s Joan Garcia and Borussia Dortmund goalkeeper Gregor Kobel.
Vozinha joins elite company
The Cape Verde international will also compete against Chelsea’s Emiliano Martinez, Senegal and Al-Ahli goalkeeper Edouard Mendy, Arsenal’s David Raya, Paris Saint-Germain’s Matvey Safonov and Athletic Bilbao’s Unai Simon.
His inclusion gives the shortlist a distinctly African flavour, with Vozinha joined by Bounou and Mendy among the 10 nominees.
For Vozinha, the recognition places him in remarkable company alongside goalkeepers who regularly compete for major European trophies.
The nomination also highlights the growing recognition of players from outside football’s traditional powerhouses, with the Cape Verde goalkeeper representing his country on one of the sport’s biggest individual stages.
African goalkeepers in the spotlight
Bounou heads the African contingent after another impressive period with Al-Hilal, while Mendy provides Senegalese representation in the prestigious list.
The women’s category also features Barcelona goalkeeper Cata Coll, who is nominated alongside Ann-Katrin Berger of Gotham, Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton, Kansas City goalkeeper Lorena and Manchester City’s Ayaka Yamashita.
Vozinha faces world-class competition
The 2026 Ballon d’Or awards come after a season featuring major domestic competitions, the UEFA Champions League and the 2026 World Cup.
Those competitions have produced several outstanding individual performances, creating a competitive field across the different award categories.
Vozinha may not enter the goalkeeper race as the most obvious favourite, but his nomination is significant in its own right.
The Cape Verde star will now wait alongside the other contenders to discover whether his performances can take him all the way to one of the most prestigious individual prizes in football.
