The star-studded nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or has been announced, highlighting the football’s top male and female performers over the past year. Leading the men’s race as the odds-on favorite is Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, whose staggering 73-goal campaign stands as one of the most prolific single-season runs in modern football. Should he claim the trophy, Kane would become the first English player to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001.
Lionel Messi nominated for Ballon D'or, Cristiano Ronaldo snubbed again
Joining Kane on the 30-man nominee list are fellow Three Lions stars Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice, alongside prominent Premier League names including Bruno Fernandes, Erling Haaland, Gabriel Magalhães, and William Saliba. While the English captain faces stiff competition from established icons and rising superstars like Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, and Lamine Yamal, five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo was omitted from the shortlist despite leading Al-Nassr to a Saudi Pro League title.
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Meanwhile, with this nomination, Messi has apparently shattered Cristiano Ronaldo for the longest career longevity at the very top of world football. The 39-year-old Argentine icon became the first player in history to have two full decades separating his first and most recent nominations, stretching from 2006 all the way to 2026.
On the women’s side, Lionesses stars Alessia Russo and Alex Greenwood were both selected among the 30 nominees for the Ballon d’Or Féminin. The game’s elite will gather to celebrate the winners when the 70th annual Ballon d’Or gala takes place in London on October 26, 2026.
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Ballon d’Or 2026: Men’s nominees
Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid & England)
Pau Cubarsí (FC Barcelona & Spain)
Marc Cucurella (Real Madrid & Spain)
Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain & France)
Luis Díaz (Bayern Munich & Colombia)
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United & Portugal)
Gabriel (Arsenal & Brazil)
Erling Haaland (Manchester City & Norway)
Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain & Morocco)
Harry Kane (Bayern Munich & England)
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Paris Saint-Germain & Georgia)
Lamine Yamal (FC Barcelona & Spain)
Sadio Mané (Al Nassr & Senegal)
Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain & Brazil)
Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan & Argentina)
Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid & France)
Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain & Portugal)
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami & Argentina)
João Neves (Paris Saint-Germain & Portugal)
Michael Olise (Bayern Munich & France)
Willian Pacho (Paris Saint-Germain & Ecuador)
Julian Quiñones (Al Qadsiah & Mexico)
Declan Rice (Arsenal & England)
Rodri (FC Barcelona & Spain)
Ferran Torres (Paris Saint-Germain & Spain)
Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich & France)
Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid & Brazil)
Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain & Portugal)
Ballon d’Or 2026: Women’s nominees
Selma Bacha (OL Lyonnes & France)
Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride & Zambia)
Esmee Brugts (FC Barcelona & Netherlands)
Klara Bühl (Bayern Munich & Germany)
Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal & Spain)
Scarlett Camberos (Club América & Mexico)
Kerstin Casparij (Manchester City & Netherlands)
Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current & Malawi)
Cata Coll (Barcelona & Spain)
Melchie Dumornay (OL Lyonnes & Haiti)
Alex Greenwood (Manchester City & England)
Patri Guijarro (FC Barcelona & Spain)
Caroline Graham Hansen (FC Barcelona & Norway)
Pernille Harder (Bayern Munich & Denmark)
Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City & Japan)
Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC & USA)
Mapi Léon (London City Lionesses & Spain)
Lorena (Kansas City Current & Brazil)
Melvine Malard (Chelsea & France)
Manaka Matsukubo (Chelsea & Japan)
Vivianne Miedema (Manchester City & Netherlands)
Ewa Pajor (FC Barcelona & Poland)
Claudia Pina (FC Barcelona & Spain)
Alexia Putellas (London City Lionesses & Spain)
Wendie Renard (OL Lyonnes & France)
Alessia Russo (Arsenal & England)
Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw (Manchester City & Jamaica)
Momoko Tanikawa (Bayern Munich & Japan)
Caroline Weir (OL Lyonnes & Scotland)
Tessa Wullaert (Como & Belgium)