The list of nominees for the prestigious 2026 Ballon d'Or has been announced. Thirty players are in contention for one of the most coveted individual awards in world football, according to infohub.kz.
Among the contenders is eight-time winner Lionel Messi, who currently plays for Inter Miami in the United States. However, Portuguese forward Cristiano Ronaldo is not on the list.
Paris Saint-Germain leads the way with ten nominees: Ousmane Dembélé, Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Willian Pacho, Achraf Hakimi, Fabián Ruiz, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Marquinhos, Vitinha, and Ferran Torres, who spent last season on loan at Barcelona.
Real Madrid also features prominently with Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappé, Marc Cucurella, and Vinícius Júnior. Barcelona's Pau Cubarsí and Lamine Yamal are also nominated.
Other nominees include Erling Haaland, Bruno Fernandes, Harry Kane, Lautaro Martínez, Declan Rice, William Saliba, Michael Olise, Luis Díaz, Gabriel Magalhães, Rodri, and Dayot Upamecano.
The 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place on October 26 in London, honoring the best player of the 2025/26 season.