A total of 30 players have been nominated for the men’s Ballon d’Or, while another 30 have been shortlisted for the women’s prize. The 2026 ceremony will be held at the London Palladium Theatre on 26 October, marking the first time the prestigious awards have been staged in London.
The ceremony will also mark the 70th anniversary of the Ballon d’Or, which was first won by England legend Stanley Matthews in 1956.
Men’s Ballon d’Or nominees
The 30-man shortlist features a mixture of established superstars, previous winners and emerging talents.
• Jude Bellingham — England, Real Madrid
• Pau Cubarsí — Spain, Barcelona
• Marc Cucurella — Spain, Chelsea/Real Madrid
• Ousmane Dembélé — France, Paris Saint-Germain
• Luis Díaz — Colombia, Bayern Munich
• Bruno Fernandes — Portugal, Manchester United
• Gabriel — Brazil, Arsenal
• Erling Haaland — Norway, Manchester City
• Achraf Hakimi — Morocco, Paris Saint-Germain
• Harry Kane — England, Bayern Munich
• Khvicha Kvaratskhelia — Georgia, Paris Saint-Germain
• Lamine Yamal — Spain, Barcelona
• Sadio Mané — Senegal, Al-Nassr
• Marquinhos — Brazil, Paris Saint-Germain
• Lautaro Martínez — Argentina, Inter Milan
• Kylian Mbappé — France, Real Madrid
• Nuno Mendes — Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain
• Lionel Messi — Argentina, Inter Miami
• João Neves — Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain
• Michael Olise — France, Bayern Munich
• Willian Pacho — Ecuador, Paris Saint-Germain
• Julián Quiñones — Mexico, Al-Qadsiah
• Declan Rice — England, Arsenal
• Rodri — Spain, Manchester City/Barcelona
• Fabián Ruiz — Spain, Paris Saint-Germain
• William Saliba — France, Arsenal
• Ferran Torres — Spain, Barcelona/Paris Saint-Germain
• Dayot Upamecano — France, Paris Saint-Germain
• Vinícius Júnior — Brazil, Real Madrid
• Vitinha — Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain
Dembélé is seeking to retain the award after winning the 2025 Ballon d’Or, while Messi returns to the shortlist after missing the previous two editions.
Notably, Cristiano Ronaldo, Raphinha, Pedri and Dani Olmo are among the high-profile players who did not make the 30-man shortlist.
Women’s Ballon d’Or nominees
The women’s shortlist includes former winners Alexia Putellas and a host of leading international stars.
• Selma Bacha — France, OL Lyonnes
• Barbra Banda — Zambia, Orlando Pride
• Esmee Brugts — Netherlands, Barcelona
• Klara Bühl — Germany, Bayern Munich
• Mariona Caldentey — Spain, Arsenal
• Scarlett Camberos — Mexico, Club América
• Kerstin Casparij — Netherlands, Manchester City
• Temwa Chawinga — Malawi, Kansas City Current
• Cata Coll — Spain, Barcelona
• Melchie Dumornay — Haiti, OL Lyonnes
• Caroline Graham Hansen — Norway, Barcelona
• Alex Greenwood — England, Manchester City
• Patri Guijarro — Spain, Barcelona
• Pernille Harder — Denmark, Bayern Munich
• Yui Hasegawa — Japan, Manchester City
• Rose Lavelle — United States, Gotham FC
• Mapi León — Spain, Barcelona/London City Lionesses
• Lorena — Brazil, Kansas City Current
• Melvine Malard — France, Manchester United/Chelsea
• Manaka Matsukubo — Japan, North Carolina Courage/Chelsea
• Vivianne Miedema — Netherlands, Manchester City
• Ewa Pajor — Poland, Barcelona
• Clàudia Pina — Spain, Barcelona
• Alexia Putellas — Spain, Barcelona/London City Lionesses
• Wendie Renard — France, OL Lyonnes
• Alessia Russo — England, Arsenal
• Khadija Shaw — Jamaica, Manchester City
• Momoko Tanikawa — Japan, Bayern Munich
• Caroline Weir — Scotland, Real Madrid/OL Lyonnes
• Tessa Wullaert — Belgium, Inter/Como
Three-time winner Aitana Bonmatí is absent from this year's shortlist, while Putellas, Pajor, Graham Hansen and Russo are among the leading names in contention.
Young Talent of the Year — Men
• Kerim Alajbegović — Bosnia and Herzegovina, Salzburg/Juventus
• Ayyoub Bouaddi — Morocco, Lille/Manchester City
• Pau Cubarsí — Spain, Barcelona
• Yan Diomandé — Côte d'Ivoire, Leipzig/Real Madrid
• Lennart Karl — Germany, Bayern Munich
• Éli Junior Kroupi — France, Bournemouth
• Lamine Yamal — Spain, Barcelona
• Johan Manzambi — Switzerland, Freiburg/Aston Villa
• Ibrahim Maza — Algeria, Leverkusen
• Warren Zaïre-Emery — France, Paris Saint-Germain
Young Talent of the Year — Women
• Veerle Buurman — Netherlands, Chelsea
• Vicky López — Spain, Barcelona
• Felicia Schröder — Sweden, Häcken/Real Madrid
• Clara Serrajordi — Spain, Barcelona
• Lily Yohannes — United States, OL Lyonnes
Goalkeeper of the Year — Men
• Yassine Bounou — Morocco, Al Hilal
• Thibaut Courtois — Belgium, Real Madrid
• Joan García — Spain, Barcelona
• Gregor Kobel — Switzerland, Borussia Dortmund
• Emiliano Martínez — Argentina, Aston Villa/Chelsea
• Édouard Mendy — Senegal, Al-Ahli
• David Raya — Spain, Arsenal
• Matvey Safonov — Russia, Paris Saint-Germain
• Unai Simón — Spain, Athletic Club
• Vozinha — Cape Verde, Chaves/Colo-Colo
Goalkeeper of the Year — Women
• Ann-Katrin Berger — Germany, Gotham FC
• Cata Coll — Spain, Barcelona
• Hannah Hampton — England, Chelsea
• Lorena — Brazil, Kansas City Current
• Ayaka Yamashita — Japan, Manchester City
Coach of the Year — Men
• Mikel Arteta — Arsenal
• Luis de la Fuente — Spain
• Unai Emery — Aston Villa
• Vincent Kompany — Bayern Munich
• Luis Enrique — Paris Saint-Germain
Coach of the Year — Women
• Jonatan Giráldez — OL Lyonnes
• Andrée Jeglertz — Manchester City
• Nils Nielsen — Japan
• Pere Romeu — Barcelona
• Elena Sadiku — Celtic/Häcken
Club of the Year — Men
• Arsenal — England
• Bayern Munich — Germany
• Bodø/Glimt — Norway
• Flamengo — Brazil
• Paris Saint-Germain — France
Club of the Year — Women
• Barcelona — Spain
• Bayern Munich — Germany
• Club América — Mexico
• Manchester City — England
• OL Lyonnes — France
The 2026 Ballon d’Or awards will also include Men’s and Women’s Striker of the Year and the Sócrates Award, alongside the Ballon d’Or, Young Talent, Goalkeeper, Coach and Club of the Year prizes.
The winners will be announced on 26 October 2026 in London, with the ceremony becoming the first Ballon d’Or gala to be held outside Paris.