The Best Player in the World unveils the new features of its 2nd edition

The date is set. On August 11, 2026, starting at 7:30 p.m., the Cinéma Pathé in Dakar will host the 2nd ceremony of the Meilleur Joueur du Monde, the Senegalese platform that evaluates footballers’ performances based on statistical data. One year after a first edition organized under urgent conditions, the event returns with new ambitions.

A satisfactory assessment despite little preparation time

Elimane Ndao, founder of the platform, gives a positive assessment of this first ceremony, organized in just one month. “It was not easy. The decision to organize it was made rather late. Despite everything, we went the extra mile to bring this platform into the physical space for the first time,” he explains. The event made it possible to unveil the Top 50 best players in the world in front of a sports audience and journalists gathered at the Cinéma Pathé. “This finally allowed us to truly exist in the public space and it gave us a lot of strength to continue on this path,” adds the founder.

Ousmane Dembélé was named best player in the world at this 2025 edition, ahead of Achraf Hakimi, ranked 2nd. This choice was largely validated a few weeks later when the Ballon d’Or was awarded to the Paris Saint-Germain player. “There really wasn’t any doubt about the winner that year. He had a phenomenal season in the Champions League,” recalls Elimane Ndao.

The scoring system adjusted in favor of defenders

For this 2nd edition, the calculation method remains largely the same, but some adjustments have been made. The platform noted a bias against defensive players in its ranking, despite the 2nd places achieved by Achraf Hakimi in 2025 and Thibaut Courtois in 2022. “An attacking player can only be rated on 3 criteria: chance creation, goals, and assists. The defender has many more actions: clearances, interceptions,” explains Elimane Ndao. New statistical values have therefore been integrated to better highlight defensive contributions.

A panel of experts to nuance the statistics

The main innovation in this 2nd edition remains the establishment of a panel of experts, a direct response to the most frequent criticism received after the first ceremony. “There was a lack of emotion, the feeling aspect,” acknowledges the founder. Each expert will have 3 cards—gold, silver, and bronze—to enhance the statistical ranking of certain players seen as underrated by the numbers alone. The panel’s opinion may thus account for 10% of the final score, versus 90% for the statistics. Other new rankings will enrich this 2026 edition: best women players in the world, best players from French-speaking Africa, and best Senegalese players.

A particularly open race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or

Asked about the race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, Elimane Ndao mentions a particularly open year. “It’s the most undecided year for the Ballon d’Or. We’re really struggling to find a player who stands out,” he confides, before reminding us that his platform precisely has a statistical mechanism designed to decide between the contenders.

The date is therefore set for August 11 at the Cinéma Pathé in Dakar to find out who will succeed Ousmane Dembélé as Meilleur Joueur du Monde.