Ballon d’Or 2026: Messi, Kane, Haaland, Bellingham and Dembélé Make Shortlist
The race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or is officially underway, with Lionel Messi, Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and reigning winner Ousmane Dembélé among the 30 players nominated for football’s most prestigious individual prize.
The nominees were announced by France Football on Tuesday, September 8, as the Ballon d’Or celebrates its 70th anniversary. The awards ceremony will take place at the London Palladium on October 26, marking the first time the ceremony has been staged in London.
Dembélé returns to the shortlist after winning the 2025 award, while Messi is back in contention for what would be a record-extending ninth Ballon d’Or.
Kane is also among the leading contenders after a remarkable season with Bayern Munich and England. Reuters reports that the England striker scored 73 goals in 65 matches for club and country, helping Bayern to a domestic treble and England to the World Cup semi-finals.
Haaland, meanwhile, scored 58 goals in 64 appearances for Manchester City and Norway, while Messi recorded 75 goal contributions in 49 matches for Inter Miami and Argentina and helped his country reach the World Cup final.
Full 2026 Men’s Ballon d’Or Nominees
The 30-man shortlist is:
- Jude Bellingham — Real Madrid, England
- Pau Cubarsí — Barcelona, Spain
- Marc Cucurella — Chelsea/Real Madrid, Spain
- Ousmane Dembélé — Paris Saint-Germain, France
- Luis Díaz — Bayern Munich, Colombia
- Bruno Fernandes — Manchester United, Portugal
- Gabriel — Arsenal, Brazil
- Erling Haaland — Manchester City, Norway
- Achraf Hakimi — Paris Saint-Germain, Morocco
- Harry Kane — Bayern Munich, England
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia — Paris Saint-Germain, Georgia
- Lamine Yamal — Barcelona, Spain
- Sadio Mané — Al-Nassr, Senegal
- Marquinhos — Paris Saint-Germain, Brazil
- Lautaro Martínez — Inter Milan, Argentina
- Kylian Mbappé — Real Madrid, France
- Nuno Mendes — Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal
- Lionel Messi — Inter Miami, Argentina
- João Neves — Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal
- Michael Olise — Bayern Munich, France
- Willian Pacho — Paris Saint-Germain, Ecuador
- Julián Quiñones — Al-Qadsiah, Mexico
- Declan Rice — Arsenal, England
- Rodri — Manchester City, Spain
- Fabián Ruiz — Paris Saint-Germain, Spain
- William Saliba — Arsenal, France
- Ferran Torres — Barcelona, Spain
- Dayot Upamecano — Bayern Munich, France
- Vinícius Jr. — Real Madrid, Brazil
- Vitinha — Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal.
Paris Saint-Germain have a particularly strong presence, with several members of their Champions League-winning squad included. Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich also have multiple representatives.
One notable omission is five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo, despite helping Al-Nassr win the Saudi Pro League.
Women’s Ballon d’Or Also Has a Strong African Presence
The women’s shortlist features another 30 players, including Zambia’s Barbra Banda, Malawi’s Temwa Chawinga and Jamaica’s Khadija “Bunny” Shaw.
Other prominent names include two-time winner Alexia Putellas, Ewa Pajor, Vivianne Miedema, Caroline Graham Hansen, Alessia Russo, Alex Greenwood and Melchie Dumornay.
Three-time defending winner Aitana Bonmatí is absent after missing much of the season through injury.
Young Talent Also Recognised
The men’s Young Talent of the Year shortlist includes Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Ibrahim Maza and Warren Zaïre-Emery, among others.
The women’s young-player nominees include Vicky López, Lily Yohannes, Veerle Buurman and Clara Serrajordi.
The Ballon d’Or programme also includes awards for goalkeepers, coaches, clubs and strikers across the men’s and women’s categories. UEFA says the 2026 ceremony will feature 13 award categories, including the Sócrates Award for solidarity and social initiatives.
What Happens Next?
The shortlist now sets up one of the most closely watched individual awards in world football, with Kane, Messi, Haaland, Dembélé, Mbappé, Bellingham and Yamal among the names attracting major attention.
The winners will be announced at the 70th Ballon d’Or ceremony in London on October 26. The choice of London also pays tribute to Stanley Matthews, the first-ever Ballon d’Or winner in 1956.
For African football, the nominations also provide another spotlight on the continent, with players including Sadio Mané, Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Barbra Banda, Temwa Chawinga and Khadija Shaw recognised among the leading performers of the 2025/26 season.
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