Chelsea have been nominated six times in the 2026 Ballon d’Or shortlists published on Tuesday. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez is one of the West London club’s representatives at the ceremony, which takes place on Monday 26 October at the London Palladium.
It’s the first time the award is being hosted in London, a deliberate nod to the first winner in 1956 – Stanley Matthews. The switch from Paris coincides with the 70th anniversary of the award, which has been jointly organised by France Football and UEFA since 2024. That means Chelsea’s men will be there for the third year on the bounce while the women’s side continues its run to five.
Martinez has been nominated for the Men’s Keeper of the Year award despite joining Stamford Bridge only on the final weekend of August. The 34-year-old has been given an instant debut after his £7.5 million switch from Aston Villa in the dramatic 4-3 win over Brighton. He gained a lot of recognition for a last hurrah at Villa Park and for the World Cup final run of Argentina, where Spain came out on top.
The Argentine, who has won the goalkeeping award twice, will face Thibaut Courtois, David Raya, Joan Garcia and Yassine Bounou, among others. Meanwhile, Marc Cucurella is included in the 30-man Men’s Ballon d’Or shortlist, with the Spain international attributed to both Chelsea and Real Madrid after his exit from West London.
Hannah Hampton earns Chelsea Women’s fifth successive Ballon d’Or nomination
Hannah Hampton has been nominated for the Women’s Keeper of the Year award and will be looking to defend the honour she won as its inaugural winner. The England international collected the award in Paris last September after an unbeaten domestic treble and success in the European Championship with the Lionesses. She ended the campaign as the Women’s Super League’s leading goalkeeper once again, with eight clean sheets in a tough season for the Blues.
The club’s presence is rounded out by a place on the five-person Women’s Young Talent of the Year shortlist, with Veerle Buurman. The 20-year-old defender, who joined from PSV Eindhoven and was loaned back to the Dutch club, made 24 appearances following her return to London. Her composure saw her collect the Rising Star award at the Women’s Super League awards, with the backline heavily depleted.
Two of the 30 women nominated for the Ballon d’Or, Manaka Matsukubo and Melvine Malard, moved to Chelsea in the summer transfer window. Matsukubo, the reigning NWSL Midfielder of the Year, joins the club from North Carolina Courage on a five-year deal, while Malard has signed a four-year contract after her departure from Manchester United. Now they both have to carry a team that came third in the league last season and only won the League Cup, as Manchester City took the title.