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

Back-to-back European champions Paris Saint-Germain have taken center stage in the 2026 Ballon d'Or nominations, with nine players from their triumphant 2025-26 season making the 30-man shortlist.

The prestigious soccer award's nominees were announced by France Football on September 8. Last year’s men’s winner, Ousmane Dembele, is nominated again, but many expect a new champion to emerge. Among those likely to challenge Dembele are his PSG teammates, including forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Also nominated for the first time is Ferran Torres, who scored the winning goal for Spain in the World Cup final against Argentina before moving to PSG from Barcelona.

National Team Leaders and Key Nominees

Spain leads with six nominees, featuring 2024 winner and World Cup Golden Ball recipient Rodri, now playing alongside Lamine Yamal at Barcelona. Yamal finished second to Dembele last year. Lionel Messi makes the list again after another strong World Cup, though his team’s defeat in the final likely dashed hopes of a ninth trophy.

2026 Ballon d'Or Nominee Lists

Men's Ballon d'Or Nominees

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

Women's Ballon d'Or Nominees

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

Men's Young Talent Of The Year Nominees

• 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 Nominees

• 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)

Women's Coach Of The Year Nominees

• Jonatan Giraldez (OL Lyonnes)
• Andree Jeglertz (Manchester City)
• Nils Nielsen (Japan*)
• Pere Romeu (Barcelona Femeni)
• Elena Sadiku (Celtic/BK Hacken)

*Nilsen left his role in April 2026 after contract expiration.

Men's Coach Of The Year Nominees

• Mikel Arteta (Arsenal)
• Luis de la Fuente (Spain)
• Unai Emery (Aston Villa)
• Vincent Kompany (Bayern Munich)
• Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain)

Women's Goalkeeper Of The Year Nominees

• Ann-Katrin Berger (Gotham FC / Germany)
• Cata Coll (Barcelona Femeni / Spain)
• Hannah Hampton (Chelsea / England)
• Lorena (Kansas City Current / Brazil)
• Ayaka Yamashita (Manchester City / Japan)

Men's Goalkeeper Of The Year Nominees

• Yassine Bonou (Al Hilal / Morocco)
• Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid / Belgium)
• Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund / Switzerland)
• Joan Garcia (Barcelona / Spain)
• Edouard Mendy (Al Ahli / Senegal)
• Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa/Chelsea / Senegal)
• David Raya (Arsenal / Spain)
• Vozinha (Colo Colo / Cape Verde)
• Unai Simon (Athletic Club / Spain)
• Matvey Safonov (Paris Saint-Germain / Russia)

Women's Club Of The Year Nominees

• Barcelona Femeni
• Bayern Munich
• Club America Femenil
• Manchester City
• OL Lyonnes

Men's Club Of The Year Nominees

• Arsenal
• Bayern Munich
• Bodo/Glimt
• Flamengo
• Paris Saint-Germain

Ballon d'Or Ceremony Details

The 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony will be held on Monday, October 26, 2026. Instead of the usual Paris venue, the event will take place in London to honor Sir Stanley Matthews, the inaugural winner from 70 years ago.

How the Ballon d'Or Winner is Chosen

A panel of international journalists selected by France Football compiles the 30 finalists for the men's Ballon d'Or and the goalkeeper award shortlist. Since 2022, voting involves media representatives from the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations for the men's award and the top 50 for the women's.

Voters rank players from the finalists list, with points assigned according to placement. The player with the highest total wins.

The award's eligibility expanded over time—from originally European players only, to include non-Europeans playing in Europe in 1995, then worldwide eligibility by 2007. The 2022 criteria focus solely on the previous season's individual performance, team success, and fair play, removing lifetime achievement considerations.