Notable Players Missing from the Ballon d'Or 30-Player Shortlist

The 30 contenders for the Ballon d'Or were announced recently by France Football. Among the nominees are nine players from Paris Saint-Germain, fresh off their 2025-26 success. Ousmane Dembele, last year's winner, is back in the running. Lionel Messi makes his 17th appearance on the list, although his chance at a ninth win diminished after Argentina lost to Spain in the World Cup final.

The reigning champion Rodri and runner-up Lamine Yamal, both from the world champion squad led by Luis de la Fuente, are nominated alongside Ferran Torres, who netted the winning goal in the World Cup final.

Still, several big names were surprisingly excluded from the shortlist, leaving some feeling overlooked.

Key Players Left Off the Ballon d'Or List

• Martin Odegaard (Arsenal and Norway): Odegaard captained Arsenal to their first Premier League title in over two decades and led Norway to the World Cup quarterfinals. Despite starting this season brilliantly, his intermittent form and injury issues during Arsenal’s victorious campaign likely cost him a spot.
• Desire Doue (PSG and France): The only one among Luis Enrique’s top ten PSG starters not nominated. Doue scored 13 goals and provided eight assists across all competitions while helping PSG claim Ligue 1 and the Champions League titles, also shining at the World Cup, making his absence puzzling.
• Raphinha (Barcelona and Brazil): Although plagued by injuries last season, Raphinha scored 21 goals in 33 games for Barcelona, averaging nearly 0.87 goals per 90 minutes. After finishing fifth last year, many expected him on the list. His omission seems hard to justify.
• Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid and Argentina): A summer transfer saga underscored his quality as a top forward. He tallied 20 goals and nine assists in all competitions but was limited by injury at the World Cup, aside from a crucial goal in Argentina’s quarterfinal win over Switzerland.
• Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr and Portugal): Ronaldo struggled to make an impact in (likely) his final World Cup but scored plenty for Al Nassr, helping end their Saudi Pro League title drought. His teammate Sadio Mane earned a nomination thanks to strong performances for Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations.
• Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea/Man City and Argentina): Fernandez made history with two transfers exceeding £100 million and had his best scoring season at Chelsea. He played a pivotal role for Argentina at the World Cup, scoring vital goals against Egypt and England. However, a red card in the final might have hurt his chances.
• Pedri (Barcelona and Spain): Catalan media expressed surprise over Pedri’s exclusion. Known for his technical skill, he lost his starting role with Spain after the World Cup quarterfinals, as coach Luis de la Fuente preferred a more balanced midfield pairing.