Ballon d’Or 2026 nominees announced
The nominees for the 70th Ballon d’Or awards have been announced, with Lionel Messi included among the 30 candidates for the men’s prize and Paris Saint-Germain leading the nominations after a landmark season.
The ceremony is scheduled for Oct. 26 in London, marking the 70th anniversary of the Ballon d’Or, which was created by France Football in 1956. The awards are organized by the Amaury Group, owner of France Football and L’Équipe, in partnership with UEFA.
The ceremony will be held outside Paris for the first time since 2019, paying tribute to England legend Stanley Matthews, the inaugural Ballon d’Or winner.
Nine PSG players nominated
PSG has nine players among the 30 nominees, matching the record set by Real Madrid in 2018.
The shortlist includes Ousmane Dembélé, who won the 2025 men’s Ballon d’Or, along with Vitinha, Fabian Ruiz, William Pacho, João Neves, Nuno Mendes, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Achraf Hakimi and Marquinhos.
World champions Spain have six nominees, while other prominent candidates include Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior and Lautaro Martinez.
Messi’s inclusion marks another appearance on the shortlist for the eight-time winner, who continues to compete at the highest individual level despite playing outside Europe.
Bonmatí seeks another women’s prize
Aitana Bonmatí enters the women’s Ballon d’Or race as the defending champion after becoming the first female player to win the award three consecutive times last year.
The 30-player women’s shortlist includes a strong Barcelona contingent, alongside nominees from Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Manchester City, Lyon, Real Madrid and other leading clubs.
Among the leading names are Caroline Graham Hansen, Alexia Putellas, Claudia Pina, Patri Guijarro, Mapi León, Vicky López and Ewa Pajor.
PSG, Barcelona lead club nominations
PSG, which won the Champions League and Ligue 1 during the reference season, is among the five nominees for the men’s Club of the Year award.
The other candidates are Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Flamengo and Bodø/Glimt.
In the women’s category, Champions League winners Barcelona are nominated alongside Bayern Munich, Club América, Manchester City and Lyon.
Top coaches compete for Cruyff trophy
Luis Enrique, the defending men’s coach award winner, is again nominated for the Cruyff Trophy after PSG’s successful campaign.
He is joined by Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery and Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany.
The women’s nominees are Jonatan Giráldez of Lyon, Pere Romeu of Barcelona, Manchester City coach Andrée Jeglertz, former Japan coach Nils Nielsen and Elena Sadiku of Celtic and Häcken.
Goalkeepers nominated for Yachine trophy
Ten goalkeepers are in contention for the men’s Yachine Trophy, including Gianluigi Donnarumma, who is seeking a second victory after winning in 2021.
Other nominees include Thibaut Courtois, Emiliano Martínez, David Raya, Yassine Bounou and Unai Simón.
The women’s Yachine Trophy, being awarded for only the second time, has five nominees: Ann-Katrin Berger, Cata Coll, Hannah Hampton, Lorena and Ayaka Yamashita.
Young stars compete for Kopa trophy
The Kopa Trophy for the best young player features several of football’s emerging stars.
The men’s nominees include Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Lenar Karl, Ibrahim Maza and Ayoub Bouaddi.
The women’s shortlist includes Lily Yohannes, Clara Serrajordi, Vicky López, Veerle Buurman and Felicia Schröder.
13 awards to be presented
A total of 13 awards will be presented across the men’s and women’s game.
They include the Ballon d’Or, Kopa Trophy, Yachine Trophy, Gerd Müller Trophy, Cruyff Trophy and Club of the Year awards for both men and women, alongside the Socrates Award for outstanding charitable or social initiatives.
The winners will be announced at the London ceremony on Oct. 26.
