Ballon d'Or 2026 Nominees: Full List of Nominees, Awards List, Players to Watch

The Ballon d'Or 2026 ceremony will bring together football's biggest stars in London on Monday, October 26, as the prestigious awards celebrate their 70th anniversary. Organised by France Football in partnership with UEFA, the ceremony will take place at the London Palladium, with individual and team honours recognising outstanding performances across men's and women's football.

Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane and Ousmane Dembele headline a competitive men's Ballon d'Or shortlist, while Alexia Putellas, Alessia Russo, Ewa Pajor and Khadija Shaw are among the leading names in the women's category. The awards also recognise emerging talents, goalkeepers, coaches and clubs.

Men's Ballon d'Or 2026 Nominees

The following 30 players are in the final list for the men's Ballon d'Or award this year.

Jude Bellingham, Pau Cubarsi, Marc Cucurella, Ousmane Dembele, Luis Diaz, Bruno Fernandes, Gabriel, Erling Haaland, Achraf Hakimi, Harry Kane, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Lamine Yamal, Sadio Mane, Marquinhos, Lautaro Martinez, Kylian Mbappe, Nuno Mendes, Lionel Messi, Joao Neves, Michael Olise, Willian Pacho, Julian Quinones, Declan Rice, Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, William Saliba, Ferran Torres, Dayot Upamecano, Vinicius Junior and Vitinha.

Women's Ballon d'Or 2026 Nominees

Selma Bacha, Barbra Banda, Esmee Brugts, Klara Buhl, Mariona Caldentey, Scarlett Camberos, Kerstin Casparij, Temwa Chawinga, Cata Coll, Melchie Dumornay, Caroline Graham Hansen, Alex Greenwood, Patri Guijarro, Pernille Harder, Yui Hasegawa, Rose Lavelle, Mapi Leon, Lorena, Melvine Malard, Manaka Matsukubo, Vivianne Miedema, Ewa Pajor, Claudia Pina, Alexia Putellas, Wendie Renard, Alessia Russo, Khadija Shaw, Momoko Tanikawa, Caroline Weir and Tessa Wullaert.

Young Talent of the Year Nominees

Men: Kerim Alajbegovic, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Pau Cubarsi, Yan Diomande, Lennart Karl, Eli Junior Kroupi, Lamine Yamal, Johan Manzambi, Ibrahim Maza and Warren Zaire-Emery.

Women: Veerle Buurman, Vicky Lopez, Felicia Schroder, Clara Serrajordi and Lily Yohannes.

Goalkeeper of the Year Nominees

Men: Yassine Bounou, Thibaut Courtois, Joan Garcia, Gregor Kobel, Emiliano Martinez, Edouard Mendy, David Raya, Matvey Safonov, Unai Simon and Vozinha.

Women: Ann-Katrin Berger, Cata Coll, Hannah Hampton, Lorena and Ayaka Yamashita.

Coach of the Year Nominees

Men: Mikel Arteta, Luis de la Fuente, Unai Emery, Vincent Kompany and Luis Enrique.

Women: Jonatan Giraldez, Andree Jeglertz, Nils Nielsen, Pere Romeu and Elena Sadiku.

Club of the Year Nominees

Men: Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Bodo/Glimt, Flamengo and Paris Saint-Germain.

Women: Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Club America, Manchester City and OL Lyonnes.

Other Ballon d'Or 2026 Awards

The ceremony will also feature the men's and women's Striker of the Year awards, recognising goalscoring achievements, and the Socrates Award, which honours humanitarian and social initiatives. These categories do not have conventional public nominee lists in the official shortlist announcement.

With 13 awards scheduled, the 2026 ceremony promises to celebrate excellence throughout the sport. The final rankings and winners will be revealed in London, bringing one of football's most anticipated individual award seasons to a conclusion.