The ranking of the Francophonie of Francs Jeux It makes its grand return this year. It highlights twenty Francophone personalities who play a key role within the sports movement. Because while the next editions of the Olympic and Paralympic Games will have a strong English focus with Los Angeles 2028, Brisbane 2032 and Utah 2034, the Francophonie retains a major place, especially with the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar 2026 and the acceleration of the French Alps 2030 project.
This ranking was established by a jury composed of the following specialists: Alain Mercier, founder of the media Francs Jeux in 2013; Benjamin Carlier, associate director of Olbia Conseil; Jérémy Botton, president of the SSM group; Sophie Lorant, president of France Sport Expertise; Sylvie Le Maux, vice-president of the CNOSF in charge of eSports; Rachel Pretti, senior reporter at L'Équipe; and Quentin Ballue, editor-in-chief of Francs Jeux since January 2025.
The positions will be revealed gradually over the next few days, until Wednesday, December 17, when the name of the winner will be announced. Francs Jeux Today we reveal the personalities ranked from 16th to 20th place.
16. Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye (11 points)
Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye wears many hats. On the one hand, he is the president of the Dakar 2026 Organizing Committee and of the Senegalese National Olympic and Sports Committee. On the other hand, he has been a member of the IOC since 2015. More specifically, he sits on the IOC's International Relations Commission and its Sport and Environment Commission, making him a key stakeholder on various issues. This year, he participated in events such as the inauguration ceremony of the Youth Olympic Games countdown clock in Dakar, alongside Kirsty Coventry. He also traveled to the United States, where he met with an advisor to President Donald Trump to discuss the importance of the upcoming Youth Olympic Games, and to Morocco, where he met with Fouzi Lekjaa, president of the Moroccan Football Federation, ahead of the Africa Cup of Nations.
16. Diamil Faye (11 points)
Diamil Faye (pictured) is undoubtedly a driving force in the Olympic Movement, particularly in Africa. He has held leadership positions for various Games organizing committees and has advised several candidate cities. He now brings this experience to the Saudi Arabian NOC as a senior advisor. In 2025, he notably and successfully relaunched the International Sports Convention in Africa in February, an important event for " contribute to the development of the capacities of sports stakeholders in Africa Demanding and ambitious, he sees even further ahead, as he confided to Francs Jeux at the beginning of the year: " We need to work to make Africa a benchmark in sport. There are encouraging signs, but I'm tired of hearing that Africa is the continent of tomorrow. I don't want it to be the continent of tomorrow; I want it to be the continent of today! We need to start working now, with international standards, to raise the level. »
18. Amélie Oudéa-Castéra (10 points)
The former Minister of Sports became president of the CNOSF (French National Olympic and Sports Committee) in June. She was the only candidate to succeed David Lappartient, who did not wish to seek another term. Since her election, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra has repeatedly raised her voice to defend the interests of French sport in a tense economic climate, trying to limit budget cuts. She has also announced her intention to better recognize the work of volunteers. The CNOSF has just launched an action plan for sports volunteering, based on " a more vibrant and structured community; a clearer and more easily accessible training offer; and stronger and clearer recognition of career paths and skills ».
19. Fouzi Lekjaa (5 points)
Moroccan sport is enjoying a golden age, and Fouzi Lekjaa is no stranger to it. As Minister Delegate in charge of the budget, he is also president of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF). He has been working tirelessly in the lead-up to the Africa Cup of Nations, which will begin on December 21 and end on January 18. His objective: to demonstrate Africa's major potential " he announced to L'Equipe this summer. The CAF, like the continent itself, needs to make a qualitative leap in the organization of this event. And the better it's organized, the better it's marketed, the more revenue increases, and the greater the potential for redistribution and development. The recent opening of the Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat, with a capacity of almost 70.000 seats, is yet another sign of Morocco's ambition. In March, Fouzi Lekjaa was re-elected for a second consecutive term to the FIFA Council, receiving 49 out of 52 votes. In September, he was also re-elected as a member of the Executive Council of the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA).
19. Edgar Grospiron (5 points)
The Albertville Olympic champion has accepted the challenge of leading the organizing committee for the French Alps 2030 Games. No small feat after Martin Fourcade's dramatic resignation highlighted the difficulty of finding his place among all the stakeholders involved in these Games. Edgar Grospiron took office in February and is steering the ship, despite the obstacles: the preferred venues plan has evolved to include Val d'Isère, a legendary resort he holds dear, and the organizing committee has been structuring itself over the months. A skilled communicator, he has seized every opportunity to try to convince others that his ambition to organize exceptional and responsible Games is realistic. There is still work to be done, but he has already accomplished his first mission by putting the project on the right track.
