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

Paris Saint-Germain, fresh off winning back-to-back European titles, features prominently in the 30-man shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d'Or. The club has nine players nominated after their outstanding 2025-26 season under coach Luis Enrique.

The prestigious individual award in soccer will be handed out soon, and while last year's winner Ousmane Dembele is nominated again, many expect a new champion to emerge, possibly from his PSG teammates. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, another forward who shined this season, is among the nominees, alongside Ferran Torres, who scored Spain's World Cup-winning goal and recently transferred to PSG from Barcelona.

Spain tops national team nominations with six players, including 2024 winner Rodri and runner-up Lamine Yamal, both now playing for Barcelona. Lionel Messi also makes the list following his strong World Cup run, though Spain's defeat in the final likely ended his bid for a record ninth Ballon d'Or.

Men’s Ballon d'Or Nominees

• Jude Bellingham: Real Madrid / England, 4 career 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: Kanas 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)

*Nils Nielsen left his role in April 2026.

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

Event Details and Voting Process

The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony is set for Monday, October 26, but unlike previous years held in Paris, this edition will take place in London to honor Sir Stanley Matthews, the first-ever winner 70 years ago.

France Football assembles a panel of international journalists who create the shortlist and conduct voting. Since 2022, media representatives from the top 100 FIFA men's ranked nations and top 50 women's nations vote by ranking their preferred candidates. Points are assigned based on these rankings, deciding the winners.

The award was once restricted to European players but expanded globally by 2007. The current voting focuses on three criteria: individual performance in the previous season, team success during that season, and player conduct.