Prix Marc-Vivien-Foé: Three Finalists announced
Moussa Niakhaté, Mamadou Sangaré and Lamine Camara are this year's Prix Marc-Vivien-Foé finalists, awarded annually to the best African player in Ligue 1 McDonald's. Learn more about each of this trio in our latest.
Moussa Niakhaté, Olympique Lyonnais/Senegal
A winner of the Africa Cup of Nations in January, Niakhaté has come on leaps and bounds in his second season at Lyon. Having arrived for a club-record €32M in summer 2024, the big centre back was sometimes a cut below last season, as Lyon's defending sometimes let down the fine work being done by their forward line. In key matches like their elimination from the Europa League at the hands of Manchester United and a run of four losses in seven matches in the run-in, Niakhaté was found wanting, but this season he has been a player reborn, forming a strong partnership with converted fullback Clinton Mata and helping Dominik Greif marshal what has been the division's third-best defence.
What a talent. Mamadou Sangaré. 🇲🇱❤️🔥 pic.twitter.com/t8GKDG0DXo
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) March 20, 2026
Mamadou Sangaré, RC Lens/Mali
The Bamako-born Sangaré, an industrious box-to-box midfielder, has taken the opportunity granted him at Lens with both hands. He's been integral to Le Sang et Or's title push, forming a fine partnership with Adrien Thomasson, and looks light years beyond the player who was spotted by Red Bull Salzburg but failed to make an impression with the first team. After a year with Rapid Vienna, he joined Lens last summer, and the club have scarcely missed the departed duo of Neil El Aynaoui and Andy Diouf. A tough tackler (only Thomasson and Nantes' Johann Lepenant have more) as well as a strong contributor going forward (three goals, four assists), Sangaré rarely misses a trick and has been one of the signings of the season, and there's plenty more to come given he's still just 23.
Lamine Camara's absolute banger! 🇸🇳 pic.twitter.com/GbzNMpD0r8
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) April 26, 2026
Lamine Camara, AS Monaco/Senegal
Like Niakhaté, Camara also won the AFCON title earlier this year, and the young Monaco midfielder's star continues to burn brightly. Despite only having turned 22 in January, he's already been capped thirty times for his country, and played more than eighty times in Ligue 1 McDonald's for both the Principality side and his previous club, FC Metz. Having come to France via Genération Foot, Les Grenats' project in his homeland, he has continued to impress with a wily range of passing and plenty of hard work. Particularly adept at set pieces, he has been an ideal partner for more defensive-minded players for both club and country and showcases the kind of dynamism crucial in modern football.
