The official countdown for the 2026 Ballon d’Or is on after France Football unveiled a star-packed lineup of 30 nominees for the men’s prize, featuring the likes of Lionel Messi, Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal and last year’s winner Ousmane Dembele. Editorial Standards
Announced on Tuesday, September 8, the nominees have been unveiled just months before the 70th Ballon d’Or ceremony which will take place at the London Palladium Theatre on October 26.
London will host the event for the first time as the award celebrates 70 years with an ode to the inaugural winner, England icon Stanley Matthews.
The list is comprised of some of the most impactful stars from the 2025/26 season and while form at both club and international level is expected to be vital, a strong showing in the World Cup would boost chances immeasurably.
Messi, an eight-time winner who skipped recent ceremonies, returns to contention following a productive stint at Inter Miami and with Argentina reaching the 2026 World Cup final.
According to Reuters, the Argentine racked up 75 goal contributions from 49 games at club and international level.
The talismanic presence of Harry Kane represents one of the contenders, whose record-breaking exploits for Bayern Munich and England throughout the season, alongside 73 goals club and country, will see him challenging strongly. Newscard
Kane’s contributions for Bayern helped them achieve a domestic treble this season whilst he was the key in England’s run at the World Cup.
Manchester City forward Erling Haaland will also be looking for a strong finish to his season after reaching 58 club and international goals, although a lack of major internationals last term saw him fall short.
His consistent goal scoring should see him make the top 10 at least.
Kylian Mbappe is an obvious inclusion as a strong favorite for the prestigious award, who continued to shine with Real Madrid while also etching his name into World Cup history as the all-time highest goal scorer in the tournament’s history.
The France captain continues to perform at the highest level, while his move to the Bernabeu gives him a fresh challenge on the European club scene.
Barcelona’s prodigy Lamine Yamal will also be featured prominently in the debate after another blistering season on the Catalonian coast where he established himself in the first team, while the teenager also proved a sensation for Spain at the World Cup.
The talented forward also took home an international award for the tournament with an assist award that added to his remarkable accomplishments on the big stage.
Reigning champion Ousmane Dembele will undoubtedly be targeting a successful defense of the Ballon d’Or and if Paris Saint-Germain can lift another Champions League trophy and the Frenchman continues to impress at club level and with the national team, he will be a strong candidate. Corrections Policy
He has been identified as one of nine players representing PSG in this year’s nominations, alongside a whole host of top talents in the shapes of Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Willian Pacho, Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha.
Former Barca man who moved to Paris Ferran Torres has also been named on the official ballot.
Re-joining the Ballon d’Or debate alongside the established names is the formidable Spain midfielder Rodri, who proved a colossus for his nation in the World Cup. The Barca man makes the list for 2026 after lifting the coveted award in 2024.
There will also be representation from Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Lautaro Martinez, Sadio Mane, Luis Diaz, Bruno Fernandes, Michael Olise, Declan Rice, William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhaes and Fabian Ruiz.The full list of the 30 nominees: Jude Bellingham, Pau Cubarsi, Marc Cucurella, Ousmane Dembele, Luis Diaz, Bruno Fernandes, Gabriel Magalhaes, Erling Haaland, Achraf Hakimi, Harry Kane, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Lamine Yamal, Sadio Mane, Marquinhos, Lautaro Martinez, Kylian Mbappe, Nuno Mendes, Lionel Messi, Joao Neves, Michael Olise, Willian Pacho, Julian Quinones, Declan Rice, Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, William Saliba, Ferran Torres, Dayot Upamecano, Vinicius Junior and Vitinha.
What has grabbed headlines, as many expected after an unusually quiet season compared to previous years regarding his usual goal hauls, is the omission of Cristiano Ronaldo from the nomination list despite winning the Saudi Pro League with Al-Nassr.
Karim Benzema and Luka Modric have also missed out on making the cut.
The women’s award list is equally eye-catching with the likes of Ewa Pajor, Alexia Putellas from London City Lionesses and Manchester City’s Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw, as the treble-winning Aitana Bonmat is sidelined through injury this season.
Award nominations will also be contested in the categories of best goalkeeper, top young player, best coach and best club and whilst the debate goes on regarding who is deserved of the Ballon d’Or, other familiar faces have also be included.
Cape Verde keeper Vozinha is nominated for the Yashin Trophy after playing a key part in his country reaching the World Cup group stage, while other nominations go to Unai Simn, Emiliano Martnez, Yassine Bounou and Edouard Mendy.
There are a lot of World Cup performers named in the prestigious list and the final vote looks set to be extremely contested between players like Kane, Mbappe, Yamal, Messi, Dembele and Rodri, but the final say rests with the voting of football journalists across the globe and it seems an ever competitive race is being prepared on a grand scale, ahead of October 26 in London where the 70th award ceremony will commence.