Ballon d'Or 2026 nominees revealed with PSG leading men's list and Bonmatí excluded

Men's shortlist and Paris Saint-Germain dominance

The 30 nominees for the 2026 Men's Ballon d'Or were announced on 8 September 2026, featuring defending holder Ousmane Dembélé alongside eight of his Paris Saint-Germain teammates. Paris Saint-Germain matched its previous record by placing nine players on the list, including Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Achraf Hakimi, Fabián Ruiz, Nuno Mendes, Vitinha, Marquinhos, João Neves, and Willian Pacho. Five French players made the men's selection in total, with Dembélé joined by Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, William Saliba, and Dayot Upamecano. Dembélé stated that the trophy would stay with a Paris Saint-Germain player following the team's second consecutive Champions League title, pointing specifically to Kvaratskhelia as a candidate. Former Paris players Désiré Doué and Bradley Barcola did not make the 30-man list.

Spanish representation and former winners

Spain leads all nations with seven players on the men's shortlist after winning the World Cup in the United States. The Spanish contingent features Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí, Marc Cucurella, Ferran Torres, and 2024 Ballon d'Or recipient Rodri, who joined FC Barcelona during the summer. Yamal, who also won a second La Liga title, addressed his nomination directly.

I don't think I need to sell myself, I don't want to make you think that I deserve it, everyone is free to think what they want. Personally, I am just proud of what I did with my team and the national team. We became world champions, we won La Liga a second time, I cannot ask for anything more!

Only three former winners appear on the men's shortlist: Lionel Messi, Rodri, and Dembélé. Messi, an eight-time recipient who retired from international duty with Argentina less than ten days prior, remains in contention alongside Premier League and Bundesliga players including Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, and Bruno Fernandes.

Women's shortlist and Bonmatí's absence

In the women's category, three-time defending champion Aitana Bonmatí was left off the 30-player shortlist. Bonmatí missed over five months of the season following an ankle injury sustained in late November 2025 and returned to action only in May 2026. FC Barcelona leads the women's shortlist with eight players who played for the European champions last season, including two-time winner Alexia Putellas, Ewa Pajor, Patri Guijarro, Claudia Pina, Cata Coll, and Esmée Brugts. France has three nominees on the women's list: OL Lyonnes defenders Selma Bacha and Wendie Renard, alongside Melvine Malard, who moved from Manchester United to Chelsea. Other nominees include OL Lyonnes forward Melchie Dumornay and Bayern Munich forward Pernille Harder.

Additional categories and ceremony details

Organizers also unveiled nominees across eight other categories for the 70th edition of the awards, bringing the total number of trophies to ten. The men's coach nominees include Paris Saint-Germain's Luis Enrique, Spain's Luis de la Fuente, Arsenal's Mikel Arteta, and Aston Villa's Unai Emery. In the under-21 category, French players Warren Zaïre-Emery and Éli Junior Kroupi join Ayyoub Bouaddi and two-time winner Lamine Yamal. A panel of 100 journalists representing the top 100 nations in the FIFA world rankings will vote across three set criteria: individual performance, team achievements, and sporting conduct. The winners will receive their awards on 26 October 2026 during a ceremony staged in London for the first time.