Ballon d'Or 2026: Nominees include Mbappé, Messi, and Dembélé

The 30 nominees for the Ballon d'Or 2026 have been announced, featuring prominent players such as Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, Ousmane Dembélé, Sadio Mané, and Lamine Yamal. The award ceremony will take place on October 26, 2026. Published on: 08/09/2026 - 17:08, Updated on: 08/09/2026 - 17:33.

As expected, the list of nominees aligns with predictions, including all the main contenders. In addition to last season's Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, seven other players from Paris SG are in contention: Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Achraf Hakimi, Fabian Ruiz, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Marquinhos, and William Pacho. However, Désiré Doué and former Paris player Bradley Barcola (now with Liverpool) are notably absent from the list.

The Spanish national team, last year’s World Cup champions in the United States, leads the nominations with seven representatives. Included in this group are Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, Rodri, and Ferran Torres. Lionel Messi, who has won the Ballon d'Or eight times and was the unfortunate finalist in the World Cup with Argentina, remains a candidate for a ninth accolade after announcing his international retirement less than ten days ago.

In a surprising twist, Senegal's Sadio Mané (playing for Al-Nassr) and Mexico's Julian Quiñones (from Al-Qadsiah FC) have also received nominations. On the women's side, the omission of triple winner Aitana Bonmati is a notable surprise on the nominees' list. The Barcelona star suffered an injury in late November 2025 and only returned in May 2026, making her unlikely to claim a fourth title.

The favorites for this year's women's Ballon d'Or are also well-represented, including the three Barcelona players: two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas (now with London City Lionesses), Patri Guijarro, and Polish forward Ewa Pajor. This year, Lyon’s Melchie Dumornay is also among the nominees.

The complete list of 30 nominees includes:
- Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England)
- Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona, Spain)
- Marc Cucurella (Chelsea then Real Madrid, Spain)
- Ousmane Dembélé (PSG, France)
- Luis Diaz (Bayern Munich, Colombia)
- Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United, Portugal)
- Gabriel (Arsenal, Brazil)
- Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway)
- Harry Kane (Bayern Munich, England)
- Achraf Hakimi (PSG, Morocco)
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG, Georgia)
- Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain)
- Sadio Mané (Al-Nassr, Senegal)
- Marquinhos (PSG, Brazil)
- Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan, Argentina)
- Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid, France)
- Nuno Mendes (PSG, Portugal)
- Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, Argentina)
- Michael Olise (Bayern Munich, France)
- João Neves (PSG, Portugal)
- William Pacho (PSG, Ecuador)
- Julian Quiñones (Al-Qadsiah, Mexico)
- Declan Rice (Arsenal, England)
- Rodri (Manchester City then Barcelona, Spain)
- Fabian Ruiz (PSG, Spain)
- William Saliba (Arsenal, France)
- Ferran Torres (Barcelona then PSG, Spain)
- Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich, France)
- Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid, Brazil)
- Vitinha (PSG, Portugal).