France Football has unveiled the nominees for the various categories of the 2026 Ballon d’Or, with some of the biggest names in world football making the shortlist.
The prestigious awards ceremony will take place in London, England, marking the first time since 2019 that the event will be held outside Paris.
The nominees were selected based on their performances during the 2025/2026 season, with individual achievements and contributions to team success among the key considerations.
Accredited journalists and voters from around the world will now cast their ballots to determine the winners in the different categories.
The move to London is also a significant moment in the history of the award, as the ceremony will pay tribute to Stanley Matthews, the inaugural Ballon d’Or winner.
The biggest attention is once again on the Men’s Best Player category, where reigning winner Ousmane Dembélé faces competition from stars including Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane, Lionel Messi, Vinícius Júnior and Erling Haaland.
Men’s Best Player Candidates
Jude Bellingham, Marc Cucurella, Pau Cubarsí, Ousmane Dembélé, Bruno Fernandes, Luis Díaz, Erling Haaland, Gabriel Magalhães, Achraf Hakimi, Harry Kane, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Lamine Yamal, Sadio Mané, Marquinhos, Kylian Mbappé, Lautaro Martínez, Michael Olise, Willian Pacho, João Neves, Julián Quiñones, Rodri, Nuno Mendes, Vinícius Júnior, Declan Rice, Lionel Messi, Fabián Ruiz, Ferran Torres, Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba, Vitinha.
Women’s Best Player Candidates
Selma Bacha, Barbra Banda, Klara Bühl, Esmee Brugts, 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, Claudia Pina, Alexia Putellas, Wendie Renard, Alessia Russo, Khadija Shaw, Momoko Tanikawa, Caroline Weir, Tessa Wullaert.
World’s Best Coach, Women’s Teams
- Jonatan Giráldez, Lyon
- Andrée Jeglertz, Manchester City
- Nils Nielsen, Japan national team
- Pere Romeu, Barcelona
- Elena Sadiku, Celtic/BK Häcken
World’s Best Coach, Men’s Teams
- Mikel Arteta, Arsenal
- Luis de la Fuente, Spain national team
- Unai Emery, Aston Villa
- Luis Enrique, Paris Saint-Germain
- Vincent Kompany, Bayern Munich
Best Men’s Team
- Arsenal, Premier League champions and Champions League runners-up
- Bayern Munich, Bundesliga champions
- Bodø/Glimt, Norway
- Flamengo, Brazil
- Paris Saint-Germain, France
Lev Yashin Trophy, World’s Best Men’s Goalkeeper
- Juan García, Spain
- Yassine Bounou, Morocco
- Thibaut Courtois, Belgium
- Emiliano Martínez, Argentina
- Gregor Kobel, Switzerland
- Édouard Mendy, Senegal
- David Raya, Spain
- Unai Simón, Spain
- Vozinha, Cape Verde
- Safonov, Russia
World’s Best Women’s Goalkeeper
- Ann-Katrin Berger, Germany
- Cata Coll, Spain
- Hannah Hampton, England
- Lorena, Brazil
- Ayaka Yamashita, Japan
Best Young Player
- Bouaddi
- Maza
- Kerim Alajbegović, Bosnia
- Pau Cubarsí, Spain
- Yan Diomande, Ivory Coast
- Lennart Karl, Germany
- Elie Junior Kroupi, France
- Lamine Yamal, Spain
- Johan Manzambi, Switzerland
- Warren Zaïre-Emery, France
With the nominations now announced, attention will turn to the voting process and the eventual winners, with the men’s award expected to attract the greatest spotlight.
The 2026 ceremony in London is set to bring together many of football’s biggest stars as they compete for one of the sport’s most prestigious individual honours.
