The race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or has officially begun after the organisers unveiled the nominees for this year’s prestigious individual football award.
A total of 30 players made the men’s shortlist announced on Tuesday, with reigning champion Ousmane Dembélé, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and Jude Bellingham among the leading names.
The 2026 edition is particularly significant as the Ballon d’Or celebrates its 70th anniversary. For the first time, the award ceremony will be held outside Paris, with London selected as the host city.
The ceremony is scheduled for October 26.
Dembélé returns to the shortlist after winning the 2025 award following a standout campaign with Paris Saint-Germain.
Messi, a record eight-time winner, has also been nominated after returning to the shortlist, while Real Madrid forwards Mbappé and Vinícius Jr. are among the other high-profile contenders.
Haaland, Kane, Bellingham and Yamal also feature after impressive campaigns at club and international level.
Paris Saint-Germain have a strong presence on the list, with several members of their squad included among the nominees. Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Arsenal are also represented.
Notably, Cristiano Ronaldo is absent from the 30-man shortlist. The Portuguese superstar, who helped Al-Nassr win the Saudi Pro League, did not make the final selection.
2026 Men’s Ballon d’Or Nominees
- Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid, England
- Pau Cubarsí – Barcelona, Spain
- Marc Cucurella – Chelsea/Real Madrid, Spain
- Ousmane Dembélé – Paris Saint-Germain, France
- Luis Díaz – Bayern Munich, Colombia
- Bruno Fernandes – Manchester United, Portugal
- Gabriel – Arsenal, Brazil
- Erling Haaland – Manchester City, Norway
- Achraf Hakimi – Paris Saint-Germain, Morocco
- Harry Kane – Bayern Munich, England
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – Paris Saint-Germain, Georgia
- Lamine Yamal – Barcelona, Spain
- Sadio Mané – Al-Nassr, Senegal
- Marquinhos – Paris Saint-Germain, Brazil
- Lautaro Martínez – Inter Milan, Argentina
- Kylian Mbappé – Real Madrid, France
- Nuno Mendes – Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal
- Lionel Messi – Inter Miami, Argentina
- João Neves – Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal
- Michael Olise – Bayern Munich, France
- Willian Pacho – Paris Saint-Germain, Ecuador
- Julián Quiñones – Al-Qadsiah, Mexico
- Declan Rice – Arsenal, England
- Rodri – Manchester City, Spain
- Fabián Ruiz – Paris Saint-Germain, Spain
- William Saliba – Arsenal, France
- Ferran Torres – Barcelona, Spain
- Dayot Upamecano – Bayern Munich, France
- Vinícius Jr. – Real Madrid, Brazil
- Vitinha – Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal
2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or Nominees
The women’s category also features 30 players, including former winner Alexia Putellas, England forward Alessia Russo, Barcelona stars Caroline Graham Hansen and Ewa Pajor, as well as Jamaica’s Khadija Shaw.
The full list is:
- Selma Bacha – France
- Barbra Banda – Zambia
- Klara Bühl – Germany
- Esmee Brugts – Netherlands
- Mariona Caldentey – Spain
- Scarlett Camberos – Mexico
- Kerstin Casparij – Netherlands
- Temwa Chawinga – Malawi
- Cata Coll – Spain
- Melchie Dumornay – Haiti
- Caroline Graham Hansen – Norway
- Alex Greenwood – England
- Patri Guijarro – Spain
- Pernille Harder – Denmark
- Yui Hasegawa – Japan
- Rose Lavelle – United States
- Mapi León – Spain
- Lorena – Brazil
- Melvine Malard – France
- Manaka Matsukubo – Japan
- Vivianne Miedema – Netherlands
- Ewa Pajor – Poland
- Claudia Pina – Spain
- Alexia Putellas – Spain
- Wendie Renard – France
- Alessia Russo – England
- Khadija Shaw – Jamaica
- Momoko Tanikawa – Japan
- Caroline Weir – Scotland
- Tessa Wullaert – Belgium
Three-time defending winner Aitana Bonmatí is notably absent from this year’s women’s shortlist after an injury-hit campaign.
Young Talent Nominees
The organisers also announced the nominees for the men’s and women’s young player awards.
The men’s shortlist includes Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal and teammate Pau Cubarsí, as well as Warren Zaïre-Emery, Ibrahim Maza and Lennart Karl.
Men’s Young Talent of the Year
- Kerim Alajbegović – Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Ayyoub Bouaddi – Morocco
- Pau Cubarsí – Spain
- Yan Diomandé – Ivory Coast
- Lennart Karl – Germany
- Éli Junior Kroupi – France
- Lamine Yamal – Spain
- Johan Manzambi – Switzerland
- Ibrahim Maza – Algeria
- Warren Zaïre-Emery – France
Women’s Young Talent of the Year
- Veerle Buurman – Netherlands
- Vicky López – Spain
- Felicia Schröder – Sweden
- Clara Serrajordi – Spain
- Lily Yohannes – United States
When Is the 2026 Ballon d’Or Ceremony?
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place on October 26 in London, United Kingdom.
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The event will mark the 70th anniversary of the award, with London chosen in honour of Stanley Matthews, the first-ever Ballon d’Or winner in 1956.
The winner will be determined through voting by an international panel of specialist journalists. Each voter will select and rank 10 players, with points awarded according to their positions.
The voting criteria include individual performance, decisive impact, collective achievements and trophies, as well as sporting conduct and fair play.