The nominations for the 2026 Ballon d’Or have been announced
The nominations for the 2026 Ballon d’Or have been announced, officially opening the race to succeed Ousmane Dembele as the world’s best men’s player.
France Football revealed the candidates on Tuesday, September 8, with the prestigious award set for its 70th edition later this year.
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The men’s shortlist features 30 players following a season that included the Champions League, domestic competitions and the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
England captain Harry Kane, Spain star Lamine Yamal and France forwards Kylian Mbappe and Dembele are among the leading names in contention.
The nominations come after a particularly competitive campaign, with Spain’s World Cup triumph adding another major factor to the debate.
Yamal and Rodri were among the Spanish players whose performances in the tournament strengthened their claims, while Kane enjoyed a prolific campaign with Bayern Munich and England, finishing the season with 73 goals in 65 appearances and a second European Golden Shoe.
The 2026 ceremony will take place in London on October 26, marking the first time the Ballon d’Or ceremony has been staged outside Paris.
The move is part of the award’s 70th-anniversary celebrations and pays tribute to Stanley Matthews, the inaugural Ballon d’Or winner in 1956.
Full list of nominees in the men’s category:
1. Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
2. Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona)
3. Ousmane Dembele (PSG)
4. Marc Cucurella (Real Madrid)
5. Luiz Diaz (Bayern Munich)
6. Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
7. Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
8. Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal)
9. Achraf Hakimi (PSG)
10. Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
11. Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
12. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG)
13. Marquinhos (PSG)
14. Sadio Mane (Al-Nassr)
15. Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)
16. Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)
17. Nuno Mendes (PSG)
18. Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
19. Michael Olise (Bayern Munic)
20. Joao Neves (PSG)
21. Julian Quinones (Al-Qadsiah)
22. William Pacho (PSG)
23. Declan Rice (Arsenal)
24. Rodri (Manchester City/Barcelona)
25. William Saliba (Arsenal)
26. Ferran Torres (Barcelona/PSG)
27. Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich)
28. Fabian Ruiz (PSG)
29. Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid)
30. Vozinha (Colo-Colo)
Other 2026 Ballon d’Or nominations
The announcement also covers the other major awards presented during the ceremony, including the Kopa Trophy, Johan Cruyff Trophy and Club of the Year awards.
Among the nominees for Men’s Club of the Year are Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Bodo/Glimt, Flamengo and Paris Saint-Germain.
Mikel Arteta, Luis Enrique, Unai Emery, Vincent Kompany and Spain coach Luis de la Fuente are nominated for Men’s Coach of the Year.
The Yashin Trophy, awarded to the world’s best goalkeeper, has a 10-man shortlist: Yassine Bounou, Thibaut Courtois, Joan Garcia, Gregor Kobel, Emiliano Martinez, Edouard Mendy, David Raya, Matvey Safonov, Unai Simon and Vozinha.
Yamal is also nominated for the Kopa Trophy (Men’s Young Talent of the Year), aiming for an unprecedented third consecutive win.
He’s joined on the 10-man shortlist by Barcelona teammate Cubarsi, along with Warren Zaire-Emery, Eli Junior Kroupi, Lennart Karl, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Yan Diomande, Ibrahim Maza, Johan Manzambi and Kerim Alajbegovic.
The winners will be determined through voting by international football journalists – one representative from each of the top 100 nations in the FIFA Men’s World Ranking with the final awards presented at the London ceremony on October 26.
The men’s winner will succeed Dembele, who claimed the 2025 Ballon d’Or after helping PSG win their first Champions League title.
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