The nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or have officially been announced, with 30 players shortlisted for the men’s award and 30 for the women’s award.
The 2026 edition marks the 70th year of the prestigious Ballon d’Or, with the awards ceremony scheduled to take place on Monday, October 26, 2026, at the London Palladium Theatre in London.
MEN’S BALLON D’OR: 30 NOMINEES
The men’s shortlist features several of the biggest names in world football, including Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Vinícius Júnior, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Ousmane Dembélé, Rodri, Jude Bellingham and Bruno Fernandes.
The full list of nominees is:
Jude Bellingham
Pau Cubarsí
Marc Cucurella
Ousmane Dembélé
Luis Díaz
Bruno Fernandes
Gabriel
Erling Haaland
Achraf Hakimi
Harry Kane
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Lamine Yamal
Sadio Mané
Marquinhos
Lautaro Martínez
Kylian Mbappé
Nuno Mendes
Lionel Messi
João Neves
Michael Olise
Willian Pacho
Julián Quiñones
Declan Rice
Rodri
Fabián Ruiz
William Saliba
Ferran Torres
Dayot Upamecano
Vinícius Júnior
Vitinha
WOMEN’S BALLON D’OR: 30 NOMINEES
The women’s category is also packed with elite talent, with Alexia Putellas, Caroline Graham Hansen, Ewa Pajor, Patri Guijarro, Alessia Russo, Khadija Shaw and Wendie Renard among the leading names.
The full list of nominees is:
Selma Bacha
Barbra Banda
Esmee Brugts
Klara Bühl
Mariona Caldentey
Scarlett Camberos
Kerstin Casparij
Temwa Chawinga
Cata Coll
Melchie Dumornay
Caroline Graham Hansen
Alex Greenwood
Patri Guijarro
Pernille Harder
Yui Hasegawa
Rose Lavelle
Mapi León
Lorena
Melvine Malard
Manaka Matsukubo
Vivianne Miedema
Ewa Pajor
Clàudia Pina
Alexia Putellas
Wendie Renard
Alessia Russo
Khadija Shaw
Momoko Tanikawa
Caroline Weir
Tessa Wullaert
Africa has strong representation on the 2026 shortlist.
Sadio Mané and Achraf Hakimi headline the African presence in the men’s category, representing Senegal and Morocco respectively.
In the women’s category, Barbra Banda of Zambia and Temwa Chawinga of Malawi are among the African stars nominated.
One of the biggest talking points is the return of Lionel Messi to the Ballon d’Or shortlist after missing out on the nominees in the previous two editions.
Another notable omission is Raphinha, despite his impressive performances in the previous season.
In the women’s category, Aitana Bonmatí is also absent from the shortlist after winning the award three consecutive times from 2023 to 2025.
Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain has a strong presence among the men’s nominees, with nine players reportedly making the shortlist.
WHO WILL WIN THE 2026 BALLON D’OR?
With some of football’s biggest stars competing for the prestigious prize, the race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or promises to be highly competitive.
Will it be Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Lionel Messi, or another contender who takes home the prestigious award?