Ballon d’Or 2026 Nominees: Official Men’s and Women’s Lists

The Ballon d’Or 2026 nominees are official. France Football and UEFA revealed 30-player shortlists for both the men’s and women’s Ballon d’Or on September 8. Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi and defending champion Ousmane Dembélé feature in the men’s list, while Alexia Putellas, Ewa Pajor, Melchie Dumornay, Alessia Russo and Khadija Shaw are among the women’s nominees.

For analysis of who is best placed to win, see our Ballon d’Or 2026 top contenders guide.

Paris Saint-Germain dominate the list with 10 nominees — by far the most of any club — reflecting a season in which Luis Enrique’s side won the Champions League. Defending champion Ousmané Dembelé is joined by teammates including Vitinha, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Nuno Mendes and João Neves. Real Madrid have four nominees in Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior, Jude Bellingham and Marc Cucurella, while Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí also feature.

Ballon d’Or 2026 Nominees: Official Men’s List

Here is the complete 30-name shortlist, as confirmed by UEFA and France Football:

Women’s Ballon d’Or 2026 Nominees: Official List

The women’s Ballon d’Or shortlist also includes 30 players, representing leading clubs across Europe and the Americas. The full official list is below.

This page covers the official men’s and women’s Ballon d’Or shortlists. The official Ballon d’Or nominees hub also includes the Young Talent, goalkeeper, coach and club categories.

Which Ballon d’Or 2026 Nominees Play in the Gulf?

The 2026 men’s shortlist has direct Gulf representation. Sadio Mané is nominated while playing for Al-Nassr, while Julián Quiñones represents Al-Qadsiah. Their inclusion gives Saudi Pro League followers two locally based players on the main 30-man Ballon d’Or list.

The most striking story on the list is Messi’s return after missing the shortlist entirely for the previous two years — at 39, and now playing outside Europe’s traditional leagues, he is chasing a ninth Ballon d’Or that would extend his own all-time record, one clear of Ronaldo’s 18 nominations rather than wins. Notably absent is Cristiano Ronaldo, who does not appear among this year’s Ballon d’Or 2026 nominees at all, a detail that matches what this site flagged as likely before the list was even announced.