London hosts the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony on Monday, with the football world waiting to discover who will claim the prestigious award. The 30 nominees are being announced one by one in descending order, with the ceremony scheduled to begin at 6pm GMT.
Some of football’s biggest names are in contention, including Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe, Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane.
For the fifth time in the award’s history, the Ballon d’Or is being judged based on performances across a football season rather than a calendar year. The assessment period runs from August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026, covering the campaign’s major competitions and events.
France Football magazine, which organises the award, is revealing the nominees’ final standings, counting down from 30th place to the winner.
Former Liverpool stars Luis Diaz and Sadio Mane, who were both nominated for the award have also featured in the rankings. Diaz finished 24th, while Mane shared 29th place in the official 2026 Ballon d’Or standings.
Mane recorded 16 goal involvements during the 2025/26 season, helping Al-Nassr secure their first league title in seven years.
The former Liverpool winger also captained Senegal to the Africa Cup of Nations final before representing the ‘Lions of Teranga’ at the 2026 World Cup.
The nomination marks Mane’s fifth Ballon d’Or appearance, having finished as runner-up in 2022. the forward has enjoyed a distinguished career at club and international level.
Mane won the Austrian double with Red Bull Salzburg in 2014 before achieving major honours with Liverpool, including the Champions League in 2019, the Premier League in 2020, and the FA Cup and Carbao Cup in 2022. He has also been instrumental in Senegal’s international success, helping the country win the Africa Cup of Nations in 2022.
Meanwhile, Luis Diaz is enjoying an impressive spell at Bayern Munich. The Colombian winger has established himself as one of the club’s key attacking players and earned his second Ballon d’Or nomination in 2026, following his first in 2022.
Diaz joined Liverpool in January 2022 and quickly secured a place in the starting line-up. He featured in several major finals and became one of the Premier League’s most exciting wingers.
His performances earned him his first Ballon d’Or nomination in 2022, when he finished 17th in the rankings. Following his successful spell in England, Bayern Munich made a significant investment in Diaz to strengthen their attack.
The Colombian quickly adapted to the Bundesliga, silencing doubts and winning over the Bavarian supporters with his performances, scoring 31 goals and providing 24 assists in 62 appearances in all competitions.
Equally ranked at the 29th place of the 2026 Ballon d’Or
@SMane_Officiel
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@AlNassrFC_EN
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— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) October 26, 2026
Ranked at the 24th place of the 2026 Ballon d’Or
@LuisFDiaz19
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#ballondor https://t.co/wm3oBJdBPU
— Ballon d’Or (@ballondor) October 26, 2026
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