The nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or have officially been announced, giving football fans a first look at the players competing for one of the biggest individual prizes in the sport.
The 30-man shortlist includes some of the biggest names in world football, including Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland, Lamine Yamal, Jude Bellingham, Vinícius Júnior and Ousmane Dembélé.
The women's Ballon d’Or also has a strong group of 30 nominees, with Alexia Putellas, Ewa Pajor, Caroline Graham Hansen, Alessia Russo and Khadija Shaw among the players shortlisted.
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place on Monday, October 26, 2026, at the London Palladium Theatre in London. It will be the first time the ceremony is held in London and also marks the 70th anniversary of the award, which was first won by England legend Stanley Matthews in 1956.
Ballon d’Or 2026 men's nominees
The men's Ballon d’Or shortlist features 30 players from some of the biggest clubs and national teams in the world.
Here is the full list:
- Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid, England
- Pau Cubarsí – Barcelona, Spain
- Marc Cucurella – Chelsea/Real Madrid, Spain
- Ousmane Dembélé – Paris Saint-Germain, France
- Luis Díaz – Bayern Munich, Colombia
- Bruno Fernandes – Manchester United, Portugal
- Gabriel – Arsenal, Brazil
- Erling Haaland – Manchester City, Norway
- Achraf Hakimi – Paris Saint-Germain, Morocco
- Harry Kane – Bayern Munich, England
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – Paris Saint-Germain, Georgia
- Lamine Yamal – Barcelona, Spain
- Sadio Mané – Al-Nassr, Senegal
- Marquinhos – Paris Saint-Germain, Brazil
- Lautaro Martínez – Inter, Argentina
- Kylian Mbappé – Real Madrid, France
- Nuno Mendes – Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal
- Lionel Messi – Inter Miami, Argentina
- João Neves – Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal
- Michael Olise – Bayern Munich, France
- Willian Pacho – Paris Saint-Germain, Ecuador
- Julián Quiñones – Al-Qadsiah, México
- Declan Rice – Arsenal, England
- Rodri – Manchester City/Barcelona, Spain
- Fabián Ruiz – Paris Saint-Germain, Spain
- William Saliba – Arsenal, France
- Ferran Torres – Barcelona/Paris Saint-Germain, Spain
- Dayot Upamecano – Paris Saint-Germain, France
- Vinícius Júnior – Real Madrid, Brazil
- Vitinha – Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal
The official list was released by France Football and UEFA on September 8.
Harry Kane among the leading contenders
Harry Kane enters the 2026 Ballon d’Or race after an outstanding season for Bayern Munich and England.
The England captain scored 73 goals in 65 appearances for club and country, according to England Football, while also winning the Bundesliga and other major honours with Bayern. He also scored six goals for England at the 2026 World Cup.
Kane's scoring numbers have made him one of the leading contenders for the award.
Messi returns to the Ballon d’Or shortlist
Lionel Messi is another major name on the list.
The Inter Miami and Argentina star has been nominated again after helping Argentina reach the 2026 World Cup final. Messi is seeking what would be a record ninth Ballon d’Or title after already winning the award eight times.
His inclusion also adds another chapter to the long-running competition between Messi and the next generation of football stars.
Mbappé, Haaland and Yamal also nominated
Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Lamine Yamal are among the other major contenders.
Mbappé has been nominated after another impressive campaign with Real Madrid and France. Haaland also makes the list after scoring 58 goals in 64 matches for Manchester City and Norway, according to Reuters.
Lamine Yamal continues to attract attention at just 19 years old. The Barcelona and Spain star is already established among the biggest names in European football and is again in contention for the main award.
Ousmane Dembélé, who won the 2025 Ballon d’Or, is also nominated again.
Cristiano Ronaldo misses out
One of the biggest talking points from the announcement is the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Portugal captain did not make the 30-man shortlist despite winning the Saudi Pro League with Al-Nassr. Ronaldo has not appeared on the Ballon d’Or shortlist since 2022.
His absence means the 2026 award will have a new storyline, with Kane, Mbappé, Haaland, Yamal, Messi and several other stars competing for the prize.
Ballon d’Or 2026 women's nominees
The women's Ballon d’Or also features 30 nominees.
The full list is:
- Selma Bacha – OL Lyonnes, France
- Barbra Banda – Orlando Pride, Zambia
- Esmee Brugts – Barcelona, Netherlands
- Klara Bühl – Bayern Munich, Germany
- Mariona Caldentey – Arsenal, Spain
- Scarlett Camberos – Club América, Mexico
- Kerstin Casparij – Manchester City, Netherlands
- Temwa Chawinga – Kansas City Current, Malawi
- Cata Coll – Barcelona, Spain
- Melchie Dumornay – OL Lyonnes, Haiti
- Caroline Graham Hansen – Barcelona, Norway
- Alex Greenwood – Manchester City, England
- Patri Guijarro – Barcelona, Spain
- Pernille Harder – Bayern Munich, Denmark
- Yui Hasegawa – Manchester City, Japan
- Rose Lavelle – Gotham FC, United States
- Mapi León – Barcelona/London City Lionesses, Spain
- Lorena – Kansas City Current, Brazil
- Melvine Malard – Manchester United/Chelsea, France
- Manaka Matsukubo – North Carolina Courage/Chelsea, Japan
- Vivianne Miedema – Manchester City, Netherlands
- Ewa Pajor – Barcelona, Poland
- Clàudia Pina – Barcelona, Spain
- Alexia Putellas – Barcelona/London City Lionesses, Spain
- Wendie Renard – OL Lyonnes, France
- Alessia Russo – Arsenal, England
- Khadija Shaw – Manchester City, Jamaica
- Momoko Tanikawa – Bayern Munich, Japan
- Caroline Weir – Real Madrid/OL Lyonnes, Scotland
- Tessa Wullaert – Inter/Como, Belgium
The women's shortlist includes two-time winner Alexia Putellas, Barcelona forward Ewa Pajor, Manchester City's Khadija Shaw and England's Alessia Russo and Alex Greenwood.
Aitana Bonmatí absent from the shortlist
One of the biggest surprises in the women's category is the absence of Aitana Bonmatí.
Bonmatí had won the women's Ballon d’Or in each of the previous three editions, but she is not among the 30 nominees this year after missing a large part of the season because of injury.
Her absence opens the race for a new winner, with Putellas, Pajor, Dumornay and several other leading players now among the contenders.
When is the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony?
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held on Monday, October 26, 2026.
The event will take place at the London Palladium Theatre in London, England.
This year's ceremony is particularly significant because it marks the 70th anniversary of the Ballon d’Or. The award was created by France Football in 1956, with England's Stanley Matthews becoming the first winner.
Since 2024, the Ballon d’Or has been co-organised by France Football and UEFA.
Who will win the 2026 Ballon d’Or?
The race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or is now officially underway.
Harry Kane enters the conversation after a remarkable scoring season, while Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi, Rodri and several other stars will also have a strong case.
The final winner will be decided through voting by an international jury of specialist journalists. Voters rank their top 10 players, with points awarded according to their positions. The voting considers individual performances, team achievements and trophies, as well as the player's class and fair play.
For now, the shortlist is confirmed. Football fans will have to wait until October 26 in London to find out who will take home the 2026 Ballon d’Or.
