The official nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or have been announced, with 30 of the world’s leading footballers shortlisted for the prestigious individual award.
The list features a mixture of established superstars, World Cup winners and emerging talents, with Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé, Rodri, Lionel Messi, Harry Kane, Vinícius Jr, Erling Haaland and Ousmane Dembélé among the headline names.
The nominees were officially revealed on Tuesday, September 8, ahead of the 70th Ballon d’Or ceremony in London on October 26.
Full list of Ballon d’Or 2026 nominees
The 30 players shortlisted for the men's award are...
- Harry Kane 🇬🇧
- Vinícius Jr 🇧🇷
- Fabián Ruiz 🇪🇸
- Vitinha 🇵🇹
- Ferran Torres 🇪🇸
- William Saliba 🇫🇷
- Dayot Upamecano 🇫🇷
- Bruno Fernandes 🇵🇹
- Pau Cubarsí 🇪🇸
- Marc Cucurella 🇪🇸
- Jude Bellingham 🇬🇧
- Ousmane Dembélé 🇫🇷
- Luis Díaz 🇨🇴
- Lamine Yamal 🇪🇸
- Erling Haaland 🇳🇴
- Gabriel Magalhães 🇧🇷
- Achraf Hakimi 🇲🇦
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia 🇬🇪
- Lionel Messi 🇦🇷
- Sadio Mané 🇸🇳
- Marquinhos 🇧🇷
- Lautaro Martínez 🇦🇷
- Kylian Mbappé 🇫🇷
- Nuno Mendes 🇵🇹
- João Neves 🇵🇹
- Michael Olise 🇫🇷
- William Pacho 🇪🇨
- Julián Quiñones 🇲🇽
- Rodri 🇪🇸
- Declan Rice 🇬🇧
Yamal and Mbappé both make the shortlist
The nominations come shortly after Lamine Yamal and Mbappé exchanged contrasting views about the Ballon d’Or race.
Yamal recently insisted that he would not campaign for the award, saying the decision belongs to the voters and that he was proud of what he achieved with Barcelona and Spain.
Mbappé, meanwhile, has openly backed his own chances of winning the prize after an impressive campaign.
Both players will now be part of the final 30 man race.
Yamal's inclusion is particularly significant given his age and the season he has just completed.
The Barcelona winger helped Spain win the World Cup, and Barcelona retain La Liga, while also becoming one of the most influential players in his club's attack.
Rodri and Messi return to the Ballon d’Or race
Two former winners also feature prominently on this year's list.
Rodri returns after missing the previous year's shortlist, while Lionel Messi is back among the nominees after being absent from the final 30 in the last two editions.
Rodri's nomination comes after another major international campaign with Spain, while Messi's inclusion represents another chapter in the remarkable career of the Argentine superstar.
The 2026 shortlist also contains several players who could challenge the established names, including Bruno Fernandes, Harry Kane, Vitinha, Michael Olise and Achraf Hakimi.
PSG lead the nominations
Paris Saint-Germain have a particularly strong presence on the shortlist, with nine players included.
That reflects the French club's impressive campaign and makes PSG the most represented team among the nominees.
Barcelona and Real Madrid also have multiple representatives, while Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Arsenal and other European giants are represented.
When will the Ballon d’Or winner be announced?
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place on October 26, 2026, in London.
It will be the first time the prestigious ceremony has been held in London rather than Paris, with the location chosen partly as a tribute to Stanley Matthews, the inaugural Ballon d’Or winner in 1956.
The award will be decided by an international jury of journalists, with voting based primarily on individual performances, collective achievements and sporting conduct.
With Yamal, Mbappé, Rodri, Messi, Kane, Dembélé, Haaland and several other elite players all competing, the 2026 Ballon d’Or race promises to be one of the most closely watched individual battles in football.