The stage is set for football’s most glamorous night! From Kylian Mbappé framing his Ballon d'Or ambitions to major shockers across the nominee list—

The 2026 Ballon d'Or nominees are confirmed, with Lionel Messi, Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé and others shortlisted ahead of the October ceremony.

Ballon d'Or 2026 Nominations Revealed

The nominations for the 2026 Ballon d'Or have officially been announced, beginning the final stage of the process for one of football's most prominent individual awards.

The 2026 ceremony will take place on October 26, 2026, at the London Palladium Theatre in London, marking the first time the Ballon d'Or ceremony has been held in London.

The ceremony also marks the award's 70th anniversary. The first Ballon d'Or was awarded in 1956 to England's Stanley Matthews. (uefa.com)

A 70-Year Milestone

The Ballon d'Or began in 1956.

Seven decades later, the award has become one of the most recognizable individual honors in football.

Since 2024, France Football and UEFA have co-organized the award. (uefa.com)

The move to London gives the anniversary ceremony an additional historical connection because the first winner, Stanley Matthews, was English.

The Men's Ballon d'Or Nominees

UEFA confirmed a 30-player men's shortlist.

The nominees are:

• Jude Bellingham

• Pau Cubarsí

• Marc Cucurella

• Ousmane Dembélé

• Luis Díaz

• Bruno Fernandes

• Gabriel

• Erling Haaland

• Achraf Hakimi

• Harry Kane

• Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

• Lamine Yamal

• Sadio Mané

• Marquinhos

• Lautaro Martínez

• Kylian Mbappé

• Nuno Mendes

• Lionel Messi

• João Neves

• Michael Olise

• Willian Pacho

• Julián Quiñones

• Declan Rice

• Rodri

• Fabián Ruiz

• William Saliba

• Ferran Torres

• Dayot Upamecano

• Vinícius Júnior

• Vitinha

The complete list is published by UEFA. (uefa.com)

Messi Is Still on the List

Lionel Messi has been nominated again despite moving beyond the European club system.

The Inter Miami forward is included on the 30-player men's shortlist. (uefa.com)

His inclusion demonstrates how the award recognizes performances across the eligible evaluation period rather than being limited to players currently playing in Europe's major leagues.

Cristiano Ronaldo Is Not Nominated

Cristiano Ronaldo is absent from the 2026 men's shortlist.

This marks another year in which the veteran forward does not appear among the nominees.

His absence is notable because Ronaldo has historically been one of the award's most recognizable names.

However, the nomination itself is a record of the official shortlist, not a judgment on a player's entire career.

Three English Nominees

England has three players on the men's shortlist:

Harry Kane

Jude Bellingham

Declan Rice

England Football confirmed all three among the 30 nominees. (englandfootball.com)

Their inclusion reflects the international prominence of English players across major European competitions.

Arsenal's Representation

Arsenal also have multiple nominees.

The men's shortlist includes:

Gabriel

Declan Rice

William Saliba

The club is also represented elsewhere in the Ballon d'Or program.

Mikel Arteta is nominated for Men's Coach of the Year, while Arsenal are included among the Men's Club of the Year nominees. (uefa.com)

The Women's Ballon d'Or

The women's award also has a 30-player shortlist.

Nominees include:

• Selma Bacha

• Barbra Banda

• Esmee Brugts

• Klara Bühl

• 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 León

• Lorena

• Melvine Malard

• Manaka Matsukubo

• Vivianne Miedema

• Ewa Pajor

• Clàudia Pina

• Alexia Putellas

• Wendie Renard

• Alessia Russo

• Khadija Shaw

• Momoko Tanikawa

• Caroline Weir

• Tessa Wullaert

UEFA published the complete women's list alongside the men's nominations. (uefa.com)

Other Awards Are Being Presented

The Ballon d'Or ceremony has expanded beyond the main men's and women's awards.

The 2026 event includes:

Men's and Women's Ballon d'Or

Men's and Women's Young Talent of the Year

Men's and Women's Goalkeeper of the Year

Men's and Women's Coach of the Year

Men's and Women's Club of the Year

Men's and Women's Striker of the Year

Sócrates Award

UEFA confirms these categories as part of the 2026 program. (uefa.com)

Goalkeeper of the Year

The men's Yashin Trophy shortlist includes:

• Yassine Bounou

• Thibaut Courtois

• Joan García

• Gregor Kobel

• Emiliano Martínez

• Édouard Mendy

• David Raya

• Matvey Safonov

• Unai Simón

• Vozinha

The inclusion of Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha is particularly notable as another example of the awards' broader geographical reach. (uefa.com)

Young Talent of the Year

The men's Young Talent shortlist includes several players from the next generation, including Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí, Lennart Karl, Ibrahim Maza and Warren Zaïre-Emery. (uefa.com)

The category highlights the importance of emerging talent alongside established stars.

Coaches of the Year

The men's Coach of the Year nominees are:

• Mikel Arteta

• Luis de la Fuente

• Unai Emery

• Vincent Kompany

• Luis Enrique

The women's shortlist includes Jonatan Giráldez, Andrée Jeglertz, Nils Nielsen, Pere Romeu and Elena Sadiku. (uefa.com)

Club of the Year

The men's Club of the Year nominees are:

Arsenal

Bayern München

Bodø/Glimt

Flamengo

Paris Saint-Germain

For the women's award, the nominated clubs are:

Barcelona

Bayern München

Club América

Manchester City

OL Lyonnes. (uefa.com)

How the Evaluation Period Works

The award is based on performances during the specified eligibility period rather than the calendar year alone.

The 2026 evaluation period covers August 3, 2025 through July 19, 2026, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup. (as.com)

That helps explain why players can be nominated based on club and international performances accumulated across different competitions.

Why the World Cup Matters

The 2026 FIFA World Cup falls inside the Ballon d'Or evaluation period.

That gives national-team performances significant relevance to this edition of the award.

Players were therefore assessed across both club football and international football during the defined period.

What Happens Next?

The nomination stage has now been completed.

The voting process proceeds before the ceremony in London.

The winners will be announced on October 26, 2026. (uefa.com)

Why the 2026 Ceremony Is Different

This year's event is unusual for several reasons:

70th anniversary

first ceremony in London

expanded award structure

post-World Cup evaluation period

strong representation from clubs and countries across different continents

These elements give the 2026 ceremony a distinctive historical setting.

The Bigger Picture

The 2026 Ballon d'Or nominations provide a snapshot of the players, coaches and clubs who recorded notable achievements during the award's official eligibility period.

The men's 30-player shortlist includes established stars such as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane, as well as younger players such as Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí. (uefa.com)

The 70th ceremony will take place in London on October 26.

Until then, the shortlist is the official record of the candidates—not the final result.

Tags: Ballon d'Or, Football, UEFA