The nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or have been announced, with Harry Kane among the biggest names shortlisted for football’s most prestigious individual prize.
The 70th edition of the Ballon d’Or will make history on October 26, 2026, when the ceremony is held in London, England, marking the first time the prestigious event has taken place outside Paris.
Kane is a leading contender after scoring an impressive 73 goals last season, producing one of the finest campaigns of his career. The Bayern Munich striker could become the first Englishman to win the men’s Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001.
The England captain is joined on the 30-player shortlist by international teammates Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice.
Men’s Ballon d’Or Nominees 2026
- Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
- Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona)
- Marc Cucurella (Real Madrid)
- Ousmane Dembele (PSG)
- Luis Diaz (Bayern Munich)
- Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
- Erling Haaland (Manchester City)
- Gabriel (Arsenal)
- Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
- Achraf Hakimi (PSG)
- Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG)
- Marquinhos (PSG)
- Sadio Mane (Al Nassr)
- Lautaro Martinez (Inter)
- Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)
- Nuno Mendes (PSG)
- Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
- Michael Olise (Bayern Munich)
- Joao Neves (PSG)
- William Pacho (PSG)
- Julian Quinones (Al Qadsia)
- Declan Rice (Arsenal)
- Rodri (Barcelona)
- Ferran Torres (PSG)
- Fabian Ruiz (PSG)
- William Saliba (Arsenal)
- Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich)
- Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid)
- Vitinha (PSG)
Women’s Ballon d’Or Nominees
The women’s shortlist features some of the biggest names in world football, including Alexia Putellas, Caroline Graham Hansen, Ewa Pajor, Alessia Russo, Khadija Shaw, Vivianne Miedema and Caroline Weir.
Young Talent and Goalkeeper Awards
The nominees for the Men’s Young Talent of the Year award include Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsi, Warren Zaire-Emery, Ayyoub Bouaddi and Lennart Karl.
For the women’s award, nominees include Vicky Lopez, Lily Yohannes, Veerle Buurman, Felicia Schroder and Clara Serrajordi.
The Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year shortlist includes Thibaut Courtois, Yassine Bounou, Gregor Kobel, David Raya, Emi Martinez and Unai Simon.
The women’s goalkeeper nominees are Ann-Katrin Berger, Cata Coll, Hannah Hampton, Lorena and Ayaka Yamashita.
Ballon d’Or 2026 Coaches’ Awards
The nominees for the Men’s Coach of the Year award are:
- Mikel Arteta (Arsenal)
- Luis de la Fuente (Spain)
- Unai Emery (Aston Villa)
- Vincent Kompany (Bayern Munich)
- Luis Enrique (PSG)
The Women’s Coach of the Year nominees are Jonatan Giraldez, Andree Jeglertz, Nils Nielsen, Pere Romeu and Elena Sadiku.
When Is the 2026 Ballon d’Or Ceremony?
The 70th Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place on October 26, 2026, in London, England.
The move represents a historic moment for the award, with London becoming the first city outside Paris to host the ceremony.
How Are the Ballon d’Or Winners Decided?
The Ballon d’Or shortlists are compiled by journalists from France Football in collaboration with French sports publication L’Équipe.
For the men’s award, journalists from the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations vote for their top 10 players from the 30-man shortlist.
Players receive points based on their ranking in each journalist’s vote, with the highest-ranked selections receiving the most points.
If two players finish level on points, the player with the most first-place votes wins the tiebreaker. If necessary, second-place votes and subsequent rankings are used to separate them.
Journalists are asked to consider three main criteria:
- Individual performances and decisive character
- Team performances and achievements
- Class and fair play
The women’s Ballon d’Or follows the same voting system, although journalists from the top 50 FIFA-ranked nationsare eligible to vote.
With Kane chasing history, Messi and Mbappe among the nominees, and a new generation led by Bellingham and Yamal pushing for the biggest individual prize in football, the 2026 Ballon d’Or promises to be one of the most closely watched editions yet.