PSG Leads Ballon d'Or 2026 Nominations with Nine Players on Shortlist

The prestigious Ballon d'Or award for soccer's best individual player is approaching, and the 30-player shortlist was unveiled on September 8 by France Football. Paris Saint-Germain stands out this year with nine nominees following their victorious 2025-26 season under coach Luis Enrique.

Among the contenders is last year's winner, Ousmane Dembele, who hopes to defend his title but faces stiff competition from several teammates. Notably, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia also earned a nomination after his key role in PSG's success. Newcomer Ferran Torres, celebrated for scoring Spain's World Cup-winning goal and transferring from Barcelona to PSG, appears on the list for the first time.

Spain leads national representation with six players nominated, including 2024 champion Rodri, now playing alongside Lamine Yamal, the previous runner-up. Lionel Messi makes the cut following another strong World Cup performance, though his team's final loss likely ended his bid for a ninth trophy.

Men’s Ballon d’Or Nominees

• Jude Bellingham: Real Madrid / England (4 nominations)
• Pau Cubarsi: Barcelona / Spain (1)
• Marc Cucurella: Chelsea/Real Madrid / Spain (1)
• Ousmane Dembele: Paris Saint-Germain / France (2)
• Luis Diaz: Bayern Munich / Colombia (2)
• Bruno Fernandes: Manchester United / Portugal (2)
• Erling Haaland: Manchester City / Norway (6)
• Gabriel: Arsenal / Brazil (1)
• Harry Kane: Bayern Munich / England (8)
• Achraf Hakimi: Paris Saint-Germain / Morocco (2)
• Lamine Yamal: Barcelona / Spain (3)
• Khvicha Kvaratskhelia: Paris Saint-Germain / Georgia (3)
• Marquinhos: Paris Saint-Germain / Brazil (2)
• Sadio Mane: Al Nassr / Senegal (5)
• Lisandro Martinez: Inter Milan / Argentina (5)
• Kylian Mbappe: Real Madrid / France (9)
• Nuno Mendes: Paris Saint-Germain / Portugal (2)
• Lionel Messi: Inter Miami / Argentina (17)
• Michael Olise: Bayern Munich / France (2)
• Joao Neves: Paris Saint-Germain / Portugal (2)
• William Pacho: Paris Saint-Germain / Ecuador (1)
• Julian Quinones: Al-Qadsiah / Mexico (1)
• Declan Rice: Arsenal / England (3)
• Rodri: Man City/Barcelona / Spain (3)
• Fabian Ruiz: Paris Saint-Germain / Spain (2)
• Ferran Torres: Barcelona/PSG / Spain (1)
• William Saliba: Arsenal / France (2)
• Dayot Upamecano: Bayern Munich / France (1)
• Vinicius Junior: Real Madrid / Brazil (5)
• Vitinha: Paris Saint-Germain / Portugal (3)

Women’s Ballon d’Or Nominees

• Selma Bacha: OL Lyonnes / France (2)
• Barbra Banda: Orlando Pride / Zambia (3)
• Klara Buhl: Bayern Munich / Germany (2)
• Esmee Brugts: Barcelona / Netherlands (1)
• Mariona Caldentey: Arsenal / Spain (3)
• Scarlett Camberos: Club America / Mexico (1)
• Kerstin Casparij: Manchester City / Netherlands (1)
• Temwa Chawinga: Kansas City Current / Malawi (2)
• Cata Coll: Barcelona / Spain (1)
• Melchie Dumornay: OL Lyonnes / Haiti (2)
• Caroline Graham Hansen: Barcelona / Norway (3)
• Alex Greenwood: Manchester City / England (1)
• Patri Guijarro: Barcelona / Spain (4)
• Pernille Harder: Bayern Munich / Denmark (5)
• Yui Hasegawa: Manchester City / Japan (3)
• Rose Lavelle: Gotham City / USWNT (2)
• Mapi Leon: Barcelona/London City Lionesses / Spain (2)
• Lorena: Kanas City Current / Brazil (1)
• Melvine Malard: Manchester United/Chelsea / France (1)
• Manaka Matsukubo: North Carolina Courage/Chelsea / Japan (1)
• Ewa Pajor: Barcelona / Poland (4)
• Vivianne Miedema: Manchester City / Netherlands (4)
• Claudia Pina: Barcelona / Spain (2)
• Alexia Putellas: Barcelona/London City Lionesses (5)
• Alessia Russo: Arsenal / England (2)
• Momoko Tanikawa: Bayern Munich / Japan (1)
• Wendie Renard: OL Lyonnes / France (6)
• Khadija Shaw: Manchester City / Jamaica (3)
• Caroline Weir: Real Madrid/OL Lyonnes / Scotland (2)
• Tessa Wullaert: Inter Milan/Como / Belgium (1)

Young Talent Awards

Men’s Young Talent of the Year nominees include ten rising stars like Kerim Alajbegovic (Salzburg/Juventus) and Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain). The full list features players from clubs across Europe, reflecting diverse talent.

• Kerim Alajbegovic (Salzburg/Juventus / Bosnia and Herzegovina)
• Ayyoub Bouaddi (Lille/Manchester City / Morocco)
• Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona / Spain)
• Yan Diomande (RB Leipzig/Real Madrid / Ivory Coast)
• Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich / Germany)
• Eli Junior Kroupi (Bournemouth)
• Lamine Yamal (Barcelona / Spain)
• Johan Manzambi (Freiburg/Aston Villa / Switzerland)
• Ibrahim Maza (Bayer Leverkusen / Algeria)
• Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain / France)

Women’s Young Talent of the Year includes players like Vicky Lopez (Barcelona Femeni) and Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes), highlighting emerging female stars globally.

• Veerle Buurman (Chelsea / Netherlands)
• Vicky Lopez (Barcelona Femeni / Spain)
• Felicia Schroder (BK Hacken/Real Madrid / Sweden)
• Clara Serrajordi (Barcelona Femeni / Spain)
• Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes / USWNT)

Coaches and Goalkeepers

Nominees for coaching honors feature top names such as Mikel Arteta (Arsenal) and Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain) for men, and Jonatan Giraldez (OL Lyonnes) among women. The goalkeeper awards include candidates like Thibaut Courtois for men and Ann-Katrin Berger for women.

• Men’s Coach of the Year: Mikel Arteta (Arsenal), Luis de la Fuente (Spain), Unai Emery (Aston Villa), Vincent Kompany (Bayern Munich), Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)
• Women’s Coach of the Year: Jonatan Giraldez (OL Lyonnes), Andree Jeglertz (Manchester City), Nils Nielsen (Japan*), Pere Romeu (Barcelona Femeni), Elena Sadiku (Celtic/BK Hacken)
• Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Yassine Bonou, Thibaut Courtois, Gregor Kobel, Joan Garcia, Edouard Mendy, Emiliano Martinez, David Raya, Vozinha, Unai Simon, Matvey Safonov
• Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Ann-Katrin Berger, Cata Coll, Hannah Hampton, Lorena, Ayaka Yamashita

Club of the Year Nominees

• Women’s Club of the Year: Barcelona Femeni, Bayern Munich, Club America Femenil, Manchester City, OL Lyonnes
• Men’s Club of the Year: Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Bodo/Glimt, Flamengo, Paris Saint-Germain

Event Details and Voting Process

The 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony is scheduled for Monday, October 26, 2026, in London, marking a tribute to the first-ever winner Sir Stanley Matthews. This departure from the usual Paris location honors the award's history.

The selection involves international journalists from the top-ranked FIFA nations voting based on recent individual performance, team achievements, and sportsmanship during the past season. The voting system weights rankings to determine the player accumulating the highest points.