Ballon d'Or 2026: the selection of the 30 candidates revealed!

France Football has revealed the 30 players nominated for the Ballon d'Or 2026. The contenders are now identified ahead of the award ceremony, which will take place on October 26 in London.

The list of 30 nominees for the Ballon d'Or 2026 has finally been unveiled. France Football announced on Tuesday, September 8, the athletes selected for the men's award. This selection highlights the individual performances achieved during the previous season, particularly marked by major European competitions, the World Cup, and the Africa Cup of Nations.

The name of the winner will be announced on Monday, October 26, during the ceremony that will be held in London. This 70th edition pays tribute to the origins of the award, created in 1956 and first won by Englishman Stanley Matthews. Ousmane Dembélé is the defending champion.

The winner will be chosen by an international jury of specialized journalists, with one representative from each of the top 100 countries in the FIFA men's ranking. Each voter will select and rank ten players from the thirty nominees. The player accumulating the most points will be awarded.

Three criteria will guide the votes, in order of importance: individual performances and the decisive impact of the player, collective results and titles won, followed by elegance and fair play. The publication of this list thus sparks discussions around the favorites, the first nominations, and notable absences.

The 30 nominees for the Ballon d'Or 2026:

1 - Vitinha

2 - Vinícius Jr.

3 - Ferran Torres

4 - Fabián Ruiz

5 - Dayot Upamecano

6 - William Saliba

7 - Rodri

8 - Declan Rice

9 - Julian Quinones

10 - Willian Pacho

11 - Joao Neves

12 - Michael Olise

13 - Lionel Messi

14 - Nuno Mendes

15 - Kylian Mbappé

16 - Lautaro Martinez

17 - Sadio Mané

18 - Marquinhos

19 - Khvicha Kvaratshkhelia

20 - Lamine Yamal

21 - Achraf Hakimi

22 - Harry Kane

23 - Gabriel

24 - Erling Haaland

25 - Bruno Fernandes

26 - Luis Diaz

27 - Ousmane Dembélé

28 - Marc Cucurella

29 - Pau Cubarsi

30 - Jude Bellingham

DZfoot