The Ballon d’Or trophy. Credit: ballondor.com
Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi and several of the biggest names in world football have been nominated for the 2026 Ballon d’Or as the race for the prestigious individual award gets underway.
The nominees for football’s most coveted individual honour were announced on Tuesday, with leading performers from the 2025/26 season making the various shortlists.
The Ballon d’Or is awarded annually to the player judged to have delivered the best overall performances during the preceding season.
The 2026 awards ceremony is scheduled to take place in London on October 26, when the winners will be announced.
Organisers have released the nominees for the men’s and women’s Ballon d’Or, as well as contenders for the Young Talent, Goalkeeper and Coach of the Year awards, alongside the men’s and women’s Club of the Year prizes.
Men’s Ballon d’Or — 30 nominees
- Rodri
- Lionel Messi
- Kylian Mbappé
- Lamine Yamal
- Jude Bellingham
- Pau Cubarsí
- Marc Cucurella
- Ousmane Dembélé
- Luis Díaz
- Bruno Fernandes
- Erling Haaland
- Gabriel Magalhães
- Harry Kane
- Achraf Hakimi
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
- Marquinhos
- Sadio Mané
- Lautaro Martínez
- Nuno Mendes
- Michael Olise
- João Neves
- Willian Pacho
- Julián Quiñones
- Fabián Ruiz
- Ferran Torres
- William Saliba
- Dayot Upamecano
- Vinícius Júnior
- Vitinha
- Declan Rice
Women’s Ballon d’Or — 30 nominees
- Selma Bacha
- Barbra Banda
- Klara Bühl
- Esmee Brugts
- Mariona Caldentey
- Scarlett Camberos
- Kerstin Casparij
- Temwa Chawinga
- Cata Coll
- Melchie Dumornay
- Caroline Graham Hansen
- Alex Greenwood
- Patri Guijarro
- Pernille Harder
- Yui Hasegawa
- Rose Lavelle
- Mapi León
- Lorena
- Melvine Malard
- Manaka Matsukubo
- Vivianne Miedema
- Ewa Pajor
- Claudia Pina
- Alexia Putellas
- Wendie Renard
- Alessia Russo
- Khadija Shaw
- Momoko Tanikawa
- Caroline Weir
- Tessa Wullaert
Men’s Young Talent of the Year — 10 nominees
- Kerim Alajbegović
- Ayyoub Bouaddi
- Pau Cubarsí
- Yan Diomandé
- Lennart Karl
- Éli Junior Kroupi
- Lamine Yamal
- Johan Manzambi
- Ibrahim Maza
- Warren Zaïre-Emery
Women’s Young Talent of the Year — 5 nominees
- Veerle Buurman
- Vicky López
- Felicia Schröder
- Clara Serrajordi
- Lily Yohannes
Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year — 10 nominees
- Yassine Bounou
- Thibaut Courtois
- Joan García
- Gregor Kobel
- Emiliano Martínez
- Édouard Mendy
- David Raya
- Matvey Safonov
- Unai Simón
- Vozinha
Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year — 5 nominees
- Ann-Katrin Berger
- Cata Coll
- Hannah Hampton
- Lorena
- Ayaka Yamashita
Men’s Coach of the Year — 5 nominees
- Mikel Arteta
- Luis de la Fuente
- Unai Emery
- Vincent Kompany
- Luis Enrique
Women’s Coach of the Year — 5 nominees
- Jonatan Giráldez
- Andrée Jeglertz
- Nils Nielsen
- Pere Romeu
- Elena Sadiku
Men’s Club of the Year — 5 nominees
- Arsenal
- Bayern Munich
- Bodø/Glimt
- Flamengo
- Paris Saint-Germain
Women’s Club of the Year — 5 nominees
- FC Barcelona
- Bayern Munich
- Club América
- Manchester City
- OL Lyonnes
