Messi, Mbappe, Yamal, Haaland headline 2026 Ballon d’Or nominees

The shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d’Or has been announced, with some of the biggest names in world football making the cut for the prestigious individual awards.

The nominees were announced by the award organisers on Tuesday as part of the 70th edition of the Ballon d’Or, which recognises outstanding performances across the 2025/26 football season.

Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Jr., Harry Kane, Ousmane Dembélé, Rodrigo Hernández and Bruno Fernandes are among the leading names on the men’s shortlist.

Full men’s shortlist

The 30-man men’s Ballon d’Or shortlist also includes Luis Díaz, Achraf Hakimi, Lautaro Martínez, Michael Olise, Declan Rice, William Saliba, Vitinha, Nuno Mendes, João Neves and Fabián Ruiz.

Other nominees are Ferran Torres, Willian Pacho, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Marcos Corrêa, Sadio Mané, Gabriel Magalhães, Dayot Upamecano, Pau Cubarsí, Julian Quiñones and Marc Cucurella.

The presence of Messi alongside a new generation led by Mbappé and Yamal adds further interest to this year’s race, while players such as Haaland, Bellingham, Vinicius and Kane are also among the major contenders.

Women’s Ballon d’Or

The women’s Ballon d’Or shortlist features several of the leading players in the women’s game, including Alexia Putellas, Caroline Graham Hansen, Ewa Pajor, Vivianne Miedema, Alessia Russo, Khadija Shaw and Barbra Banda.

Other nominees include Selma Bacha, Klara Bühl, Esmee Brugts, Mariona Caldentey, Scarlett Camberos, Kerstin Casparij, Temwa Chawinga, Cata Coll, Melchie Dumornay, Alex Greenwood, Pernille Harder and Patri Guijarro.

Rose Lavelle, Yui Hasegawa, Mapi León, Lorena, Melvine Malard, Manaka Matsukubo, Claudia Pina, Momoko Tanikawa, Wendie Renard, Caroline Weir and Tessa Wullaert complete the women’s shortlist.

Coaches and clubs nominated

The nominees for the Men’s Coach of the Year award include Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente, Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, Bayern Munich coach Vincent Kompany and Paris Saint-Germain manager Luis Enrique.

For the Women’s Coach of the Year award, Jonatan Giráldez, Andrée Jeglertz, Nils Nielsen, Pere Romeu and Elena Sadiku have been nominated.

Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Bodø/Glimt, Flamengo and Paris Saint-Germain are in contention for the Men’s Club of the Year award, while FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Club América, Manchester City and OL Lyonnes have been nominated for the women’s prize.

Goalkeeper and young talent nominees

The Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year shortlist includes Yassine Bounou, Thibaut Courtois, Joan García, Gregor Kobel, Emiliano Martínez, Edouard Mendy, David Raya, Matvey Safonov, Unai Simón and Cape Verde international Vozinha.

The Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year nominees are Ann-Katrin Berger, Cata Coll, Hannah Hampton, Lorena and Ayaka Yamashita.

For the Men’s Young Talent of the Year award, nominees include Ayyoub Bouaddi, Kerim Alajbegović, Yan Diomandé, Pau Cubarsí, Lennart Karl, Éli Junior Kroupi, Lamine Yamal, Ibrahim Maza, Johan Manzambi and Warren Zaïre-Emery.

The Women’s Young Talent of the Year shortlist features Veerle Buurman, Vicky López, Felicia Schröder, Clara Serrajordi and Lily Yohannes, with the nominees representing a new generation of players making their mark at club and international level.