Paris Saint-Germain Leads Ballon d'Or 2026 Nominations with Nine Players

The prestigious Ballon d'Or award for 2026 has its 30-man shortlist out, and Paris Saint-Germain stands out with nine players nominated following their impressive 2025-26 season where they claimed back-to-back European titles. The award, widely regarded as the highest individual honor in soccer, will crown a new champion this year, as last year's winner, Ousmane Dembele, seeks to defend his title.

PSG'sKhvicha Kvaratskhelia joining Dembele among the nominees. Another notable first-time nominee from the club is Ferran Torres, who scored Spain's winning goal in the World Cup final against Argentina before moving to PSG from Barcelona.

Spain leads national team nominations with six players, including 2024 winner and World Cup Golden Ball holder Rodri. After transferring from Manchester City to Barcelona, Rodri joins teammate Lamine Yamal, who was runner-up to Dembele last season. Lionel Messi also makes the list thanks to his World Cup performances, though his chances of a record ninth trophy dimmed after Argentina's final defeat.

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 – Kansas 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)

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 (contract ended April 2026)
• Pere Romeu – Barcelona Femeni
• Elena Sadiku – Celtic/BK Hacken

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

Details on the Award Ceremony and Voting Process

The Ballon d'Or 2026 ceremony will take place on Monday, October 26. Breaking tradition, the event moves from Paris to London this year, honoring the first-ever winner, Sir Stanley Matthews, who received the award 70 years ago.

The selection process involves journalists worldwide, representing the top FIFA-ranked nations. Votes are cast by ranking players from the shortlisted finalists, with points assigned based on these rankings. The player with the highest total points wins.

Since 1995, eligibility expanded beyond European players, and since 2007 it includes players globally regardless of their league. The criteria shifted in 2022 to focus solely on the previous season's individual performance, team success, and fair play, dropping overall career achievements from consideration.