The race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or has officially begun, with France Football revealing the nominees for the men’s and women’s awards ahead of the ceremony in London on October 26.
Defending men’s champion Ousmane Dembele, Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Rodri are among the leading names on the 30-player shortlist, while the women’s field includes Alexia Putellas, Ewa Pajor and Melchie Dumornay.
Defending champion Ousmane Dembele has been nominated again after helping Paris Saint-Germain secure a second consecutive Champions League title.
The French forward also represented France at the World Cup alongside Mbappe, with their team reaching the semifinals before losing to eventual champions Spain.
Mbappe remains one of the strongest contenders despite Real Madrid failing to win a major trophy. He made World Cup history by becoming the tournament’s all-time leading scorer with 22 goals, overtaking Lionel Messi in fewer matches.
Harry Kane is another major contender after an outstanding campaign with Bayern Munich and England. He scored 73 goals for club and country, won the Bundesliga title and helped England reach the World Cup semifinals.
Rodri and Messi also make shortlist
Spain captain Rodri has also been nominated as he looks to claim the award for a second time after winning in 2024.
Rodri played a crucial midfield role as Spain secured its second World Cup title and was among the influential figures in the team’s tournament success.
Eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi is also on the list. The 39-year-old helped Argentina reach the World Cup final and won Major League Soccer with Inter Miami.
Despite his remarkable record, Messi is considered an outside contender for another award. The other three Ballon d’Or winners still active in professional football — Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric — were not included on the shortlist.
PSG dominates Ballon d’Or nominations
Paris Saint-Germain has a particularly strong presence on this year’s men’s shortlist, with nine PSG players nominated, rising to 10 when newly acquired Ferran Torres is included.
The nominees connected with the French club include Ousmane Dembele, Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, Willian Pacho, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha, along with Torres.
Torres scored Spain’s winning goal in the World Cup final, further strengthening his case for recognition.
In an interview with France Football, Dembele predicted that the Ballon d’Or would remain with a PSG player. Asked to name his top three contenders in no particular order, he selected teammate Kvaratskhelia, Kane and Mbappe.
Dembele also mentioned Michael Olise, Lamine Yamal, Fabian Ruiz and Willian Pacho, but notably did not include himself among his own top three.
“I don’t think the trophy is undecided. I think it will remain in the hands of a Paris Saint-Germain player,” Dembele said.
Real Madrid and Manchester City stars included
Real Madrid stars Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham are also among the nominees, while Manchester City striker Erling Haaland has been included.
Haaland had another prolific season, scoring 58 goals in 64 matches for Manchester City and Norway.
Lamine Yamal is another highly rated contender after another impressive campaign for Barcelona and Spain. The teenage star was part of Spain’s World Cup-winning side and is regarded as one of the brightest young talents in world football.
Italy, which failed to qualify for the World Cup, has no player on the 30-man shortlist. The Netherlands and Germany also have no representatives, while Lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan is the only Serie A player selected.
The shortlist also guarantees another year without a goalkeeper winning the men’s Ballon d’Or. No goalkeeper was nominated, meaning Lev Yashin remains the only goalkeeper to have won the award, having claimed it in 1963.
Women’s Ballon d’Or race takes shape
The women’s shortlist includes two-time winner Alexia Putellas, Barcelona quadruple-winner Ewa Pajor and Melchie Dumornay among the leading contenders.
Putellas enjoyed another strong season with Barcelona and Spain before moving to London City Lionesses this summer.
Pajor was part of Barcelona’s hugely successful campaign and is one of several Barcelona players included among the women’s nominees.
However, three-time defending winner Aitana Bonmatí was absent from this year’s list after missing most of the season because of a serious injury. She returned toward the end of Barcelona’s quadruple-winning campaign, which included another Champions League triumph.
Manchester City forward Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw is also among the women’s nominees.
Cape Verde goalkeeper nominated
Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha has earned a place on the 10-man shortlist for the Yashin Trophy, awarded to the world’s best goalkeeper.
His standout performances at the World Cup helped Cape Verde progress from the group stage and earned him recognition among the tournament’s top goalkeepers.
He will compete against Spain’s World Cup winner Unai Simon, Argentina’s Emiliano Martinez, and fellow African nominees Yassine Bounou and Edouard Mendy.
Ballon d’Or ceremony moves to London
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held in London on October 26, marking the first time the prestigious awards ceremony has moved from its traditional Paris home.
The move coincides with the 70th anniversary of the Ballon d’Or and pays tribute to England great Stanley Matthews, who won the inaugural award in 1956.
The Ballon d’Or was created by France Football and has been awarded to men since 1956 and women since 2018.
How Ballon d’Or voting works
The men’s award is decided by journalists representing the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings, while journalists from the top 50 FIFA-ranked nations vote for the women’s award.
One journalist from each eligible country selects players in ranked order, with points assigned according to each position. The player receiving the highest overall points wins the award.
Organisers say voting is based on three criteria, in order of importance: individual performances and decisive, impressive character; collective performances and titles won; and class and fair play.
The assessment period for the 2026 award runs from August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026, the date of this year’s World Cup final.
With the nominees now confirmed, attention will turn to the final voting and the October ceremony, where the world’s best men’s and women’s players will be crowned.
