The 30-man shortlist for the 2026 Men's Ballon d'Or, football's most prestigious individual award, is out, ahead of its historic 70th anniversary ceremony scheduled for October 26, 2026 in London. For the first time in its history, the ceremony will be held outside Paris, at a London venue, to honour inaugural winner Sir Stanley Matthews.

According to the official list, these are the nominees for the Men's award:

1. Jude Bellingham (England, Real Madrid) - Midfielder

2. Pau Cubarsí (Spain, Barcelona) - Defender

3. Marc Cucurella (Spain, Real Madrid) - Defender

4. Ousmane Dembélé (France, Paris Saint-Germain) - Forward, defending Ballon d'Or holder

5. Luis Díaz (Colombia, Bayern Munich) - Forward

6. Bruno Fernandes (Portugal, Manchester United) - Midfielder

7. Gabriel Magalhães (Brazil, Arsenal) - Defender

8. Erling Haaland (Norway, Manchester City) - Forward

9. Achraf Hakimi (Morocco, Paris Saint-Germain) - Defender

10. Harry Kane (England, Bayern Munich) - Forward

11. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia, Paris Saint-Germain) - Forward

12. Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona) - Forward, reigning Kopa Trophy winner

13. Sadio Mané (Senegal, Al Nassr) - Forward

14. Marquinhos (Brazil, Paris Saint-Germain) - Defender

15. Lautaro Martínez (Argentina, Inter Milan) - Forward

16. Kylian Mbappé (France, Real Madrid) - Forward

17. Nuno Mendes (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain) - Defender

18. Lionel Messi (Argentina, Inter Miami) - Forward, 8-time winner

19. João Neves (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain) - Midfielder

20. Michael Olise (France, Bayern Munich) - Forward

21. Willian Pacho (Ecuador, Paris Saint-Germain) - Defender

22. Julián Quiñones (Mexico, Al Qadsiah) - Forward

23. Declan Rice (England, Arsenal) - Midfielder

24. Rodri (Spain, Manchester City / Barcelona) - Midfielder

25. Fabián Ruiz (Spain, Paris Saint-Germain) - Midfielder

26. William Saliba (France, Arsenal) - Defender

27. Ferran Torres (Spain, Barcelona / PSG) - Forward

28. Dayot Upamecano (France, Bayern Munich) - Defender

29. Vinícius Jr. (Brazil, Real Madrid) - Forward

30. Vitinha (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain) - Midfielder

TALKING POINTS

PSG Dominance: Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain dominate the list with 9 nominees. Dembélé, Hakimi, Kvaratskhelia, Marquinhos, Mendes, Neves, Pacho, Fabián Ruiz and Vitinha, the most from a single club this year.

National Breakdown: Spain and France lead with 5 players each. Spain: Cubarsí, Cucurella, Yamal, Rodri, Fabián Ruiz and Ferran Torres (5+). France: Dembélé, Mbappé, Olise, Saliba, Upamecano (5). Portugal have 4, England and Brazil have 3 each.

Historic Return: Lionel Messi, now 39, is nominated for a record 17th time after guiding Argentina to the World Cup semi-final and Inter Miami to the Leagues Cup. His inclusion alongside Lamine Yamal, born in 2007, marks a 20-year generational gap on the same shortlist.

Surprise Inclusions and Omissions: Mexico's Julián Quiñones makes history as the first Liga MX / Saudi Pro League-based Mexican in the 30-man list after his 37 goals. Sadio Mané returns after a two-year absence. Notable omissions include Cristiano Ronaldo, who has not been nominated since 2023, Jude Bellingham's teammate Federico Valverde, and last year's runner-up Rodri's Man City teammate Phil Foden.

Other Awards: Alongside the Men's Ballon d'Or, nominees for Women's Ballon d'Or, Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper (Men's and Women's), Gerd Müller Trophy for best striker, and Kopa Trophy for best young player were also revealed. The women's shortlist includes Selma Bacha, Barbra Banda, and Alexia Putellas.

The winner will be decided by a jury of 100 journalists from FIFA's top 100-ranked nations, based on individual performances, team success and fair play.