EAST RUTHERFORD, NEW JERSEY - JUNE 16: Bradley Barcola #12 of France celebrates with Desire Doue #20 after scoring the team's second goal during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group I match between France and Senegal at New York New Jersey Stadium on June 16, 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)
Paris Saint-Germain’s Désiré Doué (21) and Liverpool’s Bradley Barcola (24) have not been included in the list of 30 nominees for the Ballon d’Or.
Their omission comes as a surprise, as both were key figures in the Parisian club’s second consecutive Champions League triumph and members of the French squad that were knocked out in the semi-finals of the last World Cup.
Doué, who made 41 appearances across all competitions last season, proved decisive on 26 occasions, scoring 13 goals and providing 11 assists. Starting in four of the eight matches he played in at this summer’s World Cup, the Angers-born player notably stood out for his decisive performances in the round of 16 and the quarter-finals.
Barcola, who joined Liverpool this summer, made 49 appearances for the Red and Blues in the 2025–26 season, scoring 13 goals and providing seven assists. He too started four times (out of eight matches) for Les Bleus at the World Cup, with the former Olympique Lyonnais player scoring his first three goals of the tournament there.