The Ballon d’Or 2026 nominees have been officially announced, with Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, Ousmane Dembélé, Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior among the 30 players shortlisted for the men’s award. The nominees were revealed on Tuesday, 8 September, ahead of the 70th Ballon d’Or ceremony in London on 26 October 2026.
The 2026 shortlist covers performances from the 2025/26 season, including the FIFA World Cup and major club competitions. SportPesa Kenya brings together the full men’s and women’s nominee lists, the ceremony details, voting process and the main stories behind this year’s race. For wider team, player and competition coverage, visit our football coverage.
Ballon d’Or 2026 nominees: full men’s 30-player list
France Football’s official men’s shortlist contains 30 players. The list is not an official ranking: the final order will be decided by the international voting process before the winner is announced in London.
| No. | Nationality | Player | Club(s) |
| 1 | England | Jude Bellingham | Real Madrid |
| 2 | Spain | Pau Cubarsí | Barcelona |
| 3 | Spain | Marc Cucurella | Chelsea / Real Madrid |
| 4 | France | Ousmane Dembélé | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 5 | Colombia | Luis Díaz | Bayern Munich |
| 6 | Portugal | Bruno Fernandes | Manchester United |
| 7 | Brazil | Gabriel | Arsenal |
| 8 | Norway | Erling Haaland | Manchester City |
| 9 | Morocco | Achraf Hakimi | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 10 | England | Harry Kane | Bayern Munich |
| 11 | Georgia | Khvicha Kvaratskhelia | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 12 | Spain | Lamine Yamal | Barcelona |
| 13 | Senegal | Sadio Mané | Al-Nassr |
| 14 | Brazil | Marquinhos | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 15 | Argentina | Lautaro Martínez | Inter |
| 16 | France | Kylian Mbappé | Real Madrid |
| 17 | Portugal | Nuno Mendes | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 18 | Argentina | Lionel Messi | Inter Miami |
| 19 | Portugal | João Neves | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 20 | France | Michael Olise | Bayern Munich |
| 21 | Ecuador | Willian Pacho | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 22 | Mexico | Julián Quiñones | Al-Qadsiah |
| 23 | England | Declan Rice | Arsenal |
| 24 | Spain | Rodri | Manchester City / Barcelona |
| 25 | Spain | Fabián Ruiz | Paris Saint-Germain |
| 26 | France | William Saliba | Arsenal |
| 27 | Spain | Ferran Torres | Barcelona / Paris Saint-Germain |
| 28 | France | Dayot Upamecano | Bayern Munich |
| 29 | Brazil | Vinícius Júnior | Real Madrid |
| 30 | Portugal | Vitinha | Paris Saint-Germain |
Paris Saint-Germain have the largest representation on the men’s shortlist with 10 nominees. The club’s presence follows another trophy-heavy season in Europe, and many of the players on the list can also be followed through SportPesa Kenya’s UEFA Champions League coverage.
Women’s Ballon d’Or 2026 nominees: full 30-player list
The Women’s Ballon d’Or shortlist was announced on the same day and also contains 30 players. The list includes leading players from Europe, North America, Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.
| No. | Nationality | Player | Club(s) |
| 1 | France | Selma Bacha | OL Lyonnes |
| 2 | Zambia | Barbra Banda | Orlando Pride |
| 3 | Netherlands | Esmee Brugts | Barcelona |
| 4 | Germany | Klara Bühl | Bayern Munich |
| 5 | Spain | Mariona Caldentey | Arsenal |
| 6 | Mexico | Scarlett Camberos | Club América |
| 7 | Netherlands | Kerstin Casparij | Manchester City |
| 8 | Malawi | Temwa Chawinga | Kansas City Current |
| 9 | Spain | Cata Coll | Barcelona |
| 10 | Haiti | Melchie Dumornay | OL Lyonnes |
| 11 | Norway | Caroline Graham Hansen | Barcelona |
| 12 | England | Alex Greenwood | Manchester City |
| 13 | Spain | Patri Guijarro | Barcelona |
| 14 | Denmark | Pernille Harder | Bayern Munich |
| 15 | Japan | Yui Hasegawa | Manchester City |
| 16 | United States | Rose Lavelle | Gotham FC |
| 17 | Spain | Mapi León | Barcelona / London City Lionesses |
| 18 | Brazil | Lorena | Kansas City Current |
| 19 | France | Melvine Malard | Manchester United / Chelsea |
| 20 | Japan | Manaka Matsukubo | North Carolina Courage / Chelsea |
| 21 | Netherlands | Vivianne Miedema | Manchester City |
| 22 | Poland | Ewa Pajor | Barcelona |
| 23 | Spain | Clàudia Pina | Barcelona |
| 24 | Spain | Alexia Putellas | Barcelona / London City Lionesses |
| 25 | France | Wendie Renard | OL Lyonnes |
| 26 | England | Alessia Russo | Arsenal |
| 27 | Jamaica | Khadija Shaw | Manchester City |
| 28 | Japan | Momoko Tanikawa | Bayern Munich |
| 29 | Scotland | Caroline Weir | Real Madrid / OL Lyonnes |
| 30 | Belgium | Tessa Wullaert | Inter / Como |
African representation includes Zambia forward Barbra Banda and Malawi star Temwa Chawinga on the women’s shortlist, while Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Senegal’s Sadio Mané are among the men’s nominees.
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What stands out from the 2026 Ballon d’Or shortlist
Paris Saint-Germain lead the men’s nominations
Paris Saint-Germain account for 10 of the 30 men’s nominees, the highest total for any club. Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona each have four players credited to them when summer transfers are taken into account, while Arsenal have three.
Big names driving the 2026 race
The shortlist combines established Ballon d’Or winners with players chasing the award for the first time. Ousmane Dembélé, the 2025 men’s winner, is nominated again, while Lionel Messi returns to the 30-player list alongside Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Lamine Yamal.
SportPesa Kenya already has permanent profiles for Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior, giving readers deeper context on three of the most searched names on the shortlist.
| Player | Club | 2025/26 snapshot | Major trophies in reference period |
| Harry Kane | Bayern Munich | 73 goals in 65 matches | Bundesliga, German Cup, German Super Cup |
| Kylian Mbappé | Real Madrid | 58 goals in 60 matches | — |
| Erling Haaland | Manchester City | 58 goals in 64 matches | FA Cup, EFL Cup |
| Lionel Messi | Inter Miami | 45 goals, 30 assists in 49 matches | MLS |
| Lamine Yamal | Barcelona | 25 goals, 20 assists in 57 matches | World Cup, La Liga, Spanish Super Cup |
| Ousmane Dembélé | Paris Saint-Germain | 26 goals, 14 assists in 51 matches | Champions League, Ligue 1 and more |
| Michael Olise | Bayern Munich | 27 goals, 35 assists in 69 matches | Bundesliga, German Cup, German Super Cup |
| Vinícius Júnior | Real Madrid | 28 goals, 16 assists in 66 matches | — |
Notable absences from the 30-player men’s list
Cristiano Ronaldo is not among the 30 nominees for the 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or. Other high-profile players who do not appear on the official list include Raphinha, Pedri, Bukayo Saka, Julián Álvarez and Désiré Doué. Their absence has already become part of the discussion around the announcement, but only the 30 official nominees are eligible for the men’s award.
There is no official Ballon d’Or 2026 ranking yet
The nominee list should not be treated as a ranking. France Football has announced the 30 candidates, but the final positions depend on the journalists’ vote. Any ‘Ballon d’Or 2026 rankings’ published before the official results are revealed are projections or editorial opinions, not the final Ballon d’Or order.
Ballon d’Or 2026 ceremony date, venue and voting
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held on Monday, 26 October at the London Palladium Theatre in London. It is the first time the ceremony will be staged in London and marks the 70th anniversary of the award, which was created by France Football in 1956.
| Detail | 2026 information |
| Ceremony date | Monday, 26 October 2026 |
| Venue | London Palladium Theatre |
| City | London, England |
| Edition | 70th Ballon d’Or |
| Nominees announced | 8 September 2026 |
| Reference period | 3 August 2025 to 19 July 2026 |
How Ballon d’Or voting works
The men’s Ballon d’Or is decided by an international jury of specialist journalists, with one representative from each of the top 100 nations in the FIFA men’s ranking. The women’s award uses one journalist from each of the top 50 nations in the women’s ranking.
Each men’s juror ranks 10 players from the 30-player shortlist. Points are awarded 15, 12, 10, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 from first to tenth place. The player with the highest total wins. If players are level on points, first-place votes are used as the first tie-breaker.
The three criteria are applied in order: individual performance and decisive impact; collective performance and trophies; then class and fair play. The 2026 reference period runs from 3 August 2025 to 19 July 2026.
Recent men’s Ballon d’Or winners
| Year | Winner |
| 2025 | Ousmane Dembélé |
| 2024 | Rodri |
| 2023 | Lionel Messi |
| 2022 | Karim Benzema |
| 2021 | Lionel Messi |
Lionel Messi remains the record men’s Ballon d’Or winner with eight awards. Ousmane Dembélé won the 2025 men’s trophy, while Aitana Bonmatí won the 2025 women’s award for a third consecutive year.
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Ballon d’Or 2026 FAQs
Who are the Ballon d’Or 2026 nominees?
The men’s shortlist contains 30 players, including Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, Ousmane Dembélé, Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior. The complete list is shown above.
When is the Ballon d’Or 2026 ceremony?
The ceremony is scheduled for Monday, 26 October 2026 at the London Palladium Theatre in London.
Who won the Ballon d’Or in 2025?
Ousmane Dembélé won the 2025 men’s Ballon d’Or, while Aitana Bonmatí won the women’s award.
Is there an official Ballon d’Or 2026 ranking yet?
No. The 30 nominees have been announced, but they are not ranked. The final order will be determined by the voting process and revealed with the official results.
How is the Ballon d’Or winner chosen?
Specialist journalists vote from the official shortlist using individual performance, team success and trophies, and class and fair play as the three criteria.
How many players are nominated for the Ballon d’Or?
There are 30 nominees for the men’s Ballon d’Or and 30 nominees for the women’s Ballon d’Or in 2026.
Which club has the most men’s Ballon d’Or nominees in 2026?
Paris Saint-Germain lead the men’s shortlist with 10 nominees.
Is Cristiano Ronaldo nominated for the 2026 Ballon d’Or?
No. Cristiano Ronaldo is not included in the official 30-player men’s shortlist for 2026.
READ ALSO: Champions League Draw 2026/27: Arsenal vs Real Madrid, Man City vs Barcelona & League Phase Guide
Conclusion
The Ballon d’Or 2026 nominees bring together 30 of the leading men’s players and 30 of the leading women’s players from the 2025/26 season. The shortlist includes major names such as Messi, Mbappé, Kane, Yamal, Dembélé, Haaland, Bellingham and Vinícius Júnior, while Paris Saint-Germain have the strongest club representation in the men’s list.
The next major date is 26 October 2026, when the 70th Ballon d’Or ceremony takes place at the London Palladium. This page will be updated as official voting information, rankings and winners are confirmed, while SportPesa Kenya’s football coverage continues to follow the clubs, players and competitions behind the nominees.
