A star-studded lineup unveiled: 30 contenders for the 2026 Ballon d'Or led by Messi and Jamal. The announcement highlights a strong group of top footballers vying for the prestigious award.
On 8 Sep 2026 GMT+7, France Football magazine officially announced the 30 male footballers nominated for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, awarded to the player with the most outstanding performance in the 2025/26 season.
Lamine Jamal, the defending runner-up, is among six players from Spain's 2026 World Cup-winning team nominated for the Ballon d'Or 2026. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi, Argentina's star who lost to Spain in the final, is competing for this award for the ninth time.
Paris Saint-Germain, back-to-back UEFA Champions League winners, have the most nominees with nine players (excluding Ferran Torres, who recently transferred from Barcelona this season), led by last year's winner, Ousmane Dembélé.
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the Ballon d'Or, the symbol of the best player of the year award, established by France Football magazine in 1956. The winner will be announced at a ceremony in London on 26 Oct 2026 GMT+7.
Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid / England)
Pau Guijarro (Barcelona / Spain)
Marc Cucurella (Real Madrid / Spain)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain / France)
Luis Díaz (Bayern Munich / Colombia)
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United / Portugal)
Gabriel Magalhães (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 Jamal (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 Moutinho (Paris Saint-Germain / Portugal)
Michael Olise (Bayern Munich / France)
Willian Pacho (Paris Saint-Germain / Ecuador)
Julián Quiñones (Al Qadsiah / Mexico)
Declan Rice (Arsenal / England)
Rodri (Barcelona / Spain)
Fabián Ruiz (Paris Saint-Germain / Spain)
William Saliba (Arsenal / France)
Ferran Torres (Paris Saint-Germain / Spain)
Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich / France)
Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid / Brazil)
Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain / Portugal)
