Ballon d’Or 2026 awards nominees: Full List - Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, others | Details of 30-player shortlist
Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphinha and Pedri did not make the cut. Saudi Pro League names Sadio Mane and Julian Quinones did.
France Football has named the 30 men’s and 30 women’s candidates for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, opening the race for football’s most famous individual prize after a World Cup year. Last season’s winners were Ousmane Dembele and Aitana Bonmati.
The 70th Ballon d’Or will be handed out in London on October 26, a first for the ceremony and a nod to Sir Stanley Matthews, who won the original award in 1956.
Kane, Yamal, Mbappe, Messi and a crowded men’s race
Harry Kane is widely viewed as the early favourite after 73 goals for Bayern Munich and England, plus a German treble. Lamine Yamal is one of six Spanish world champions on the shortlist. Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe overtook Lionel Messi for the all-time World Cup goals record with 22.
Messi, chasing a ninth Ballon d’Or at 39, still produced 75 goal contributions in 49 games for Inter Miami and Argentina before retiring from international football.
Paris Saint-Germain dominate the numbers. Back-to-back Champions League winners have nine nominees before counting summer signing Ferran Torres.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphinha and Pedri did not make the cut. Saudi Pro League names Sadio Mane and Julian Quinones did.
Men’s Ballon d’Or 2026: 30 nominees
Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid & England)
Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona & Spain)
Marc Cucurella (Real Madrid & Spain)
Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain & France)
Luis Diaz (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 Mane (Al-Nassr & Senegal)
Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain & Brazil)
Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan & Argentina)
Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid & France)
Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain & Portugal)
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami & Argentina)
Joao Neves (Paris Saint-Germain & Portugal)
Michael Olise (Bayern Munich & France)
Willian Pacho (Paris Saint-Germain & Ecuador)
Julian Quinones (Al-Qadsiah & Mexico)
Declan Rice (Arsenal & England)
Rodri (Barcelona & Spain)
Fabian Ruiz (Paris Saint-Germain & Spain)
William Saliba (Arsenal & France)
Ferran Torres (Paris Saint-Germain & Spain)
Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich & France)
Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid & Brazil)
Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain & Portugal)
Women’s list opens up without Aitana Bonmati
Three-time winner Aitana Bonmati's absence leaves the women’s award wide open for the first time since 2022. Two-time winner Alexia Putellas, now at London City Lionesses after leaving Barcelona, is among the leading names alongside Ewa Pajor and Melchie Dumornay. England’s Alessia Russo and Alex Greenwood are also shortlisted.
Women’s Ballon d’Or 2026: 30 nominees
Selma Bacha (OL Lyonnes & France)
Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride & Zambia)
Esmee Brugts (Barcelona & Netherlands)
Klara Buhl (Bayern Munich & Germany)
Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal & Spain)
Scarlett Camberos (Club América & Mexico)
Kerstin Casparij (Manchester City & Netherlands)
Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current & Malawi)
Cata Coll (Barcelona & Spain)
Melchie Dumornay (OL Lyonnes & Haiti)
Alex Greenwood (Manchester City & England)
Patri Guijarro (Barcelona & Spain)
Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona & Norway)
Pernille Harder (Bayern Munich & Denmark)
Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City & Japan)
Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC & USA)
Mapi Leon (London City Lionesses & Spain)
Lorena (Kansas City Current & Brazil)
Melvine Malard (Chelsea & France)
Manaka Matsukubo (Chelsea & Japan)
Vivianne Miedema (Manchester City & Netherlands)
Ewa Pajor (Barcelona & Poland)
Claudia Pina (Barcelona & Spain)
Alexia Putellas (London City Lionesses & Spain)
Wendie Renard (OL Lyonnes & France)
Alessia Russo (Arsenal & England)
Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw (Manchester City & Jamaica)
Momoko Tanikawa (Bayern Munich & Japan)
Caroline Weir (OL Lyonnes & Scotland)
Tessa Wullaert (Como & Belgium)
Young talent, goalkeepers and clubs
Men’s Young Talent of the Year: Kerim Alajbegovic (Juventus), Ayyoub Bouaddi (Manchester City), Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona), Yan Diomand (eReal Madrid), Eli Junior Kroupi (Bournemouth), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), Johan Manzambi (Aston Villa), Ibrahim Maza (Bayer Leverkusen), Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain).
Women’s Young Talent of the Year: Veerle Buurman (Chelsea), Vicky Lopez (Barcelona), Felicia Schroder (Real Madrid), Clara Serrajordi (Barcelona), Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes).
Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year (Yashin Trophy): Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal), Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund), Joan García (Barcelona), Edouard Mendy (Al Ahli), Emiliano Martinez (Chelsea), David Raya (Arsenal), Matvey Safonov (Paris Saint-Germain), Unai Simon (Athletic Club), Vozinha (Colo Colo). Cape Verde’s World Cup group-stage hero Vozinha is the standout surprise.
Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Ann-Katrin Berger (Gotham FC), Cata Coll (Barcelona), Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Lorena (Kansas City Current), Ayaka Yamashita (Manchester City).
Men’s Club of the Year: Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Bodø/Glimt, Flamengo, Paris Saint-Germain.
Women’s Club of the Year: Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Club América, Manchester City, OL Lyonnes.
About the Author
Aachal Maniyar is a Senior Content Producer at LiveMint, where she covers US sports with a focus on major leagues, marquee events, and athlete-driven stories, while also reporting extensively on cricket and global sports. With over five years of first-hand journalism experience, she combines sharp editorial judgment with real-time sports storytelling across platforms. <br><br> Her reporting journey spans leading newsrooms including Thomson Reuters, India TV, BTVI, ET NOW, and CNBC TV18, where she has worked across breaking news, live match coverage, feature writing, interviews, video scripting, and anchoring. This multi-platform exposure has shaped her ability to deliver context-rich sports and business journalism tailored for both television and digital audiences. <br><br> Aachal has conducted and produced exclusive interviews with athletes and public figures such as India cricketer Dhruv Jurel, Indian women’s hockey captain Savita Punia, and industrialist Ratan Tata, along with several emerging and established sports personalities. Her body of work includes in-depth explainers, athlete profiles, emotionally resonant fan narratives, and data-backed match analysis across cricket, Olympic sports, and international competitions. <br><br> She holds a Master’s degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune, and believes in reporting that is grounded in accuracy, clarity, and credibility. Her philosophy is simple: sports journalism should go beyond scores and statistics, capturing the human stories, pressure moments, and decisions that shape the game and the people who play it.
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