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The 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d'Or award have now been revealed, and while the usual suspects have been included, there's still been a surfeit of huge names that have mysteriously been left out.
Kylian Mbappe, Harry Kane, and Lamine Yamal are among the favourites for this year's mantle, as they look to win the prize for the best player in the world right now.
In a year when Arsenal won the Premier League, Paris Saint-Germain retained their Champions League title, and Spain lifted their second World Cup trophy, players from those clubs and countries also feature heavily.
But with so many talented players out there, there wasn't room for all of them to get the flowers they so merit. Sadio Mane and Mexico's Julian Quinones are questionable additions, having beaten more deserving players - as seen in this article - to the ceremony.
10 Julian Alvarez
REUTERS/Marcelo Del Pozo
As one of the best strikers in the world right now, it's certainly interesting not to see Julian Alvarez up for an award that famously favours those banging in the goals.
He contributed to 12 La Liga goals in 29 appearances last term, played an undeniable role in helping Atletico Madrid reach the Champions League semi-finals despite most neutrals suggesting their glory days were behind them, and then regularly featured as Argentina reached a second successive World Cup final. No trophy to show for it is perhaps the reason he misses out - albeit very cruelly.
9 Martin Odegaard
Reuters/Matthew Childs
Martin Odegaard was back to his best last season, captaining Arsenal to their first league title in 22 years. If that wasn't enough to land him a Ballon d'Or nomination, then perhaps captaining Norway to a quarter-final in their maiden appearance in the tournament, assisting four goals in five matches, would be?
Not in the eyes of the French newspaper, who completely overlooked the attacking midfielder. In this instance, it feels like a classic case of a selfless player walking so that his more reputable teammates can run, being the water-carrier in a team destined for more success this season.
Ballon d'Or trophy Lamine Yamal Alexia Putellas
Ballon d'Or trophy Lamine Yamal Alexia Putellas
8 Mikel Oyarzabal
Susana Vera via Reuters
Julian Quinones, who scored four goals and registered an assist in the World Cup this summer, could only have gotten into the Ballon d'Or conversation because of his international contributions, seeing as only European club football counts besides that. So that makes the case for Mikel Oyarzabal so compelling.
Not only did he outscore Quinones by one, he won the tournament with Spain, as well as having netted 15 times in La Liga for Real Sociedad. One can only assume the higher-ups forgot about him.
7 David Raya
Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge
No goalkeeper made the nominations list this time around, which is a great shame considering this generation seems to boast plenty of good shot-stoppers. At the minute, David Raya could argue he's at the top of that pile, having kept the most clean sheets last season, conceded the fewest goals, and been a major influence in Arsenal's success.
The Premier League Golden Glove winner (for the third successive year, mind!) isn't the highest-rated 'keeper in this ranking though, as he was somehow sidelined through the World Cup by one other brilliant glovesman.
6 Dani Olmo
REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
In total, Dani Olmo featured in 48 of Barcelona's 56 matches last season, accounting for 85.7% of appearances, scoring 8 goals and providing 9 assists as they won a domestic treble.
He then kept a certain other Barcelona star out of the lineup during Spain's run to a second World Cup triumph (more on him later...). It doesn't pay to be an underrated midfielder, though, as the likes of Odegaard has also discovered.
5 Unai Simon
REUTERS/Hannah Mckay via Action Images
Goals didn't define Spain's World Cup win over the summer - in fact, it was the complete opposite, as Unai Simon conceded just once all tournament and was arguably the single most important player on the pitch for Luis De La Fuente.
The 29-year-old put in the kind of performances that usually land other players a big-money move ahead of the new club season, but he has decided to stay put in Bilbao. That loyalty to Athletic Club might be the reason he's prevented from a Ballon d'Or nomination - but, then again, that makes no sense when it comes to the aforementioned Olmo.
cristiano ronaldo man utd
cristiano ronaldo man utd
4 Bradley Barcola
REUTERS/David Klein
Before sealing a £123 million deadline day move to Premier League giants Liverpool, Bradley Barcola was ripping it up in Ligue 1 and Champions League with PSG, playing more minutes than any of his attacking teammates before going on to directly contribute to four goals in just four starts for France as they reached the World Cup semi-finals.
Clearly, his signature got the attention of many high-profile clubs, but his superstar status evaded that of top journalists. That shouldn't bother Barcola, though, who now looks to fill the big boots left behind at Anfield by Mohamed Salah.
3 Desire Doue
desire doue
Desire Doue, like Barcola, is another French and PSG player who missed out on a nomination. 10 of his teammates made the cut, but not him, which will surely feel like a bit of a low blow.
Luckily for him, he's still only 21, having turned that age in June. As one of the best young players in world football, he can rest assured that he will have plenty of time to not only get some nominations under his belt, but also go all the way and win the golden ball.
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Winslow Townson (Imagn Images)
It was only last year that Raphinha was being talked about as a top three contender for the award, just as he was 12 months prior to that. Such a steep drop-off in reputation is unusual for a player of his calibre is unheard of, especially when you consider he's still not had his 30th birthday.
The Brazilian was hit with injuries at the start of the 2025/26 campaign, which may have played a role. However, he still managed to return to peak form rather quickly, scoring 21 goals and producing eight assists in 33 appearances across all competitions. His relentless output somehow went unnoticed.
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) & Cafu (Brazil) with Ballon d'Or
Steven Gerrard (Liverpool) & Cafu (Brazil) with Ballon d'Or
1 Pedri
Eloisa Sanchez via Reuters
Pedri is among the top three midfielders in the world, and there's arguably nobody better in the world at dictating play than him, with the 23-year-old the perfect fit for Barcelona's tiki-taka style. Recency bias might play a role in his lack of a Ballon d'Or nomination as he was incredibly sidelined for much of the World Cup.
But Pedri more than passes the eye test, and won three trophies with his beloved club last term. While some players get a nod for their statistics, others get them for trophies won or how enjoyable they are to watch. The Spaniard ticks every box, but still managed to get snubbed.