The nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or have been officially unveiled, with football’s biggest stars; including Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Erling Haaland, Mohamed Salah and defending winner Ousmane Dembélé, earning places on the prestigious 30-player shortlist.
The annual awards, organized by France Football, mark the 70th edition of the Ballon d’Or and will be presented in London on October 26, 2026. It will be the first time since 2019 that the ceremony is held outside Paris, honoring England legend Sir Stanley Matthews, the inaugural Ballon d’Or winner in 1956.
Dembélé defends his crown as Messi returns to the shortlist
Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé, who won the 2025 Ballon d’Or after leading PSG to a historic season, is among the favorites to retain the award. His competition includes Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé, Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal, Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, Manchester City’s Erling Haaland, Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah, Real Madrid winger Vinícius Júnior, and Spain midfielder Rodri.
Argentina captain Lionel Messi also made the shortlist following another standout campaign before announcing his retirement from international football after more than two decades with the national team.
The shortlist reflects performances during the 2025–26 club season and the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with several players earning nominations for their achievements on both stages.
Ballon d’Or 2026 men’s shortlist
The 30 nominees are:
Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Rodri, Erling Haaland, Michael Olise, Lionel Messi, Vinícius Júnior, Mohamed Salah, Florian Wirtz, Vitinha, Raphinha, Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Pedri, Cole Palmer, Achraf Hakimi, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Désiré Doué, Viktor Gyökeres, Robert Lewandowski, Lautaro Martínez, Alexis Mac Allister, Scott McTominay, Denzel Dumfries and Serhou Guirassy.
Other major award nominees
France Football also announced nominees for several other categories, including the Yashin Trophy for the world’s best goalkeeper, Coach of the Year, Young Talent of the Year, Club of the Year, and the Women’s Ballon d’Or.
The women’s shortlist includes leading international stars such as Alexia Putellas, Ewa Pajor, Caroline Graham Hansen, Alessia Russo, Mariona Caldentey, Patri Guijarro, Barbra Banda and Temwa Chawinga.
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony is expected to bring together the world’s top footballers, coaches and clubs to recognize the outstanding performers of the past season.
