France Football names 30 nominees for 2026 Ballon d’Or
Ousmane Dembélé, Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi are among the nominees, with the winners to be announced in London on 26 October.
France Football has revealed the 30 nominees for the 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or, setting the field for football’s leading individual award.
Last year’s winner, Ousmane Dembélé, is among the nominees alongside Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi. The shortlist also includes Vinícius Júnior, Lamine Yamal, Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Lautaro Martínez.
Paris Saint-Germain has nine men’s nominees, including Dembélé, Achraf Hakimi and Vitinha. Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić, the other active players to have won the award, were not included.
No goalkeeper was nominated. The women’s shortlist includes Alexia Putellas, Ewa Pajor and Melchie Dumornay, while three-time defending winner Aitana Bonmatí was omitted after missing much of the season through injury.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on 26 October. The event is moving from Paris to mark the 70th anniversary of Stanley Matthews’ 1956 award.
