The race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or has officially begun, with some of the biggest names in world football included among the 30 nominees for the prestigious individual award.
The shortlist was unveiled on Tuesday, September 8, with England captain Harry Kane, Barcelona youngster Lamine Yamal, Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé and Inter Miami star Lionel Messi among the high-profile contenders.
The Ballon d’Or is awarded annually to the player judged to have produced the outstanding performances during the previous football season.
The 2026 ceremony is scheduled to take place in London on October 26, where the eventual winner will be crowned.
Full List of Men’s Ballon d’Or Nominees
The 30 players nominated for the men’s award are:
- Rodri
- Lionel Messi
- Kylian Mbappé
- Lamine Yamal
- Jude Bellingham
- Pau Cubarsí
- Marc Cucurella
- Ousmane Dembélé
- Luis Díaz
- Bruno Fernandes
- Erling Haaland
- Gabriel Magalhães
- Harry Kane
- Achraf Hakimi
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
- Marquinhos
- Sadio Mané
- Lautaro Martínez
- Nuno Mendes
- Michael Olise
- João Neves
- Willian Pacho
- Julián Quiñones
- Fabián Ruiz
- Ferran Torres
- William Saliba
- Dayot Upamecano
- Vinícius Júnior
- Vitinha
- Declan Rice
The list features a mixture of established superstars and emerging talents, with several players expected to be among the leading contenders when voting concludes.
Other Major Ballon d’Or Awards
The organisers have also announced nominees for the women’s Ballon d’Or, Young Talent of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year and Coach of the Year awards.
Among the nominees for the men’s Young Talent of the Year award is Lamine Yamal, who also features in the senior Ballon d’Or shortlist.
The men’s Goalkeeper of the Year category includes notable names such as Thibaut Courtois, Emiliano Martínez, David Raya and Édouard Mendy.
For the men’s Coach of the Year award, Mikel Arteta, Luis de la Fuente, Unai Emery, Vincent Kompany and Luis Enrique have been nominated.
Five clubs are also competing for the Men’s Club of the Year prize: Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Bodø/Glimt, Flamengo and Paris Saint-Germain.
With several of football’s biggest stars included, the 2026 Ballon d’Or promises to be one of the most closely watched individual award races of the year.
The winners will be announced at the ceremony in London on October 26.
