The nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or awards have been announced, with some of the biggest names in world football included among the contenders for the prestigious individual prizes.
The 2026 ceremony will take place in London on October 26, marking the first time the event will be held in the British capital. The awards will recognise outstanding performances from the 2025/26 season.
Men’s Ballon d’Or nominees
The 30 nominees for the men’s Ballon d’Or are:
- Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid
- Pau Cubarsí – Barcelona
- Marc Cucurella – Chelsea/Real Madrid
- Ousmane Dembélé – Paris Saint-Germain
- Luis Díaz – Bayern Munich
- Bruno Fernandes – Manchester United
- Gabriel – Arsenal
- Erling Haaland – Manchester City
- Achraf Hakimi – Paris Saint-Germain
- Harry Kane – Bayern Munich
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – Paris Saint-Germain
- Lamine Yamal – Barcelona
- Sadio Mané – Al Nassr
- Marquinhos – Paris Saint-Germain
- Lautaro Martínez – Inter Milan
- Kylian Mbappé – Real Madrid
- Nuno Mendes – Paris Saint-Germain
- Lionel Messi – Inter Miami
- João Neves – Paris Saint-Germain
- Michael Olise – Bayern Munich
- Willian Pacho – Paris Saint-Germain
- Julián Quiñones – Al Qadsiah
- Declan Rice – Arsenal
- Rodri – Manchester City/Barcelona
- Fabián Ruiz – Paris Saint-Germain
- William Saliba – Arsenal
- Ferran Torres – Barcelona/Paris Saint-Germain
- Dayot Upamecano – Bayern Munich
- Vinícius Júnior – Real Madrid
- Vitinha – Paris Saint-Germain.
The shortlist includes reigning Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, eight-time winner Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Vinícius Júnior, Lamine Yamal and Harry Kane.
Notably, Cristiano Ronaldo was left out of the 30-man shortlist, while Messi returned to the nominations after missing the previous two editions.
Women’s Ballon d’Or nominees
The 30 nominees for the women’s award are:
- Selma Bacha – OL Lyonnes
- Barbra Banda – Orlando Pride
- Klara Bühl – Bayern Munich
- Esmee Brugts – Barcelona
- Mariona Caldentey – Arsenal
- Scarlett Camberos – Club América
- Kerstin Casparij – Manchester City
- Temwa Chawinga – Kansas City Current
- Cata Coll – Barcelona
- Melchie Dumornay – OL Lyonnes
- Caroline Graham Hansen – Barcelona
- Alex Greenwood – Manchester City
- Patri Guijarro – Barcelona
- Pernille Harder – Bayern Munich
- Yui Hasegawa – Manchester City
- Rose Lavelle – Gotham FC
- Mapi León – Barcelona/London City Lionesses
- Lorena – Kansas City Current
- Melvine Malard – Manchester United/Chelsea
- Manaka Matsukubo – North Carolina Courage/Chelsea
- Vivianne Miedema – Manchester City
- Ewa Pajor – Barcelona
- Clàudia Pina – Barcelona
- Alexia Putellas – Barcelona/London City Lionesses
- Wendie Renard – OL Lyonnes
- Alessia Russo – Arsenal
- Khadija Shaw – Manchester City
- Momoko Tanikawa – Bayern Munich
- Caroline Weir – Real Madrid/OL Lyonnes
- Tessa Wullaert – Inter Milan/Como.
One of the biggest talking points is the absence of Aitana Bonmatí, who is unable to defend her title after an injury. Her absence opens the competition for a new winner.
Other awards announced include the Kopa Trophy for young players, the Yashin Trophy for goalkeepers, Coach of the Year and Club of the Year categories.
Paris Saint-Germain have a particularly strong presence among the men’s nominees, with 10 players included following their successful campaign.
The winners will be announced at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London on October 26, 2026.
Source: Thepressradio.com
