France Football magazine has announced the nominees for the Ballon d’Or for the 2025/26 season. This year’s anniversary ceremony will take place in London for the first time, rather than in Paris.
There are 30 contenders on the list. Among them are the current holder, Ousmane Dembélé, and the record holder for the most wins, Lionel Messi, who has won the Ballon d’Or eight times.
Harry Kane is considered one of the main contenders. The Bayern Munich striker has had a phenomenal season – 61 goals in 51 matches. He could become the first Englishman since Michael Owen (2001) to win this award.
Kylian Mbappé is also among the favourites. The Frenchman had a strong season and became the all-time leading goalscorer in World Cup history following his performance at the 2026 World Cup.
Another candidate is Rodri. The Spanish footballer captained the national team at the 2026 World Cup and was named the tournament’s best player. He has already won the Ballon d’Or in 2024.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia could also triumph. He was a key player for PSG in their Champions League-winning campaign, scoring 10 goals in 16 matches.
The current holder of the award is Ousmane Dembélé, who won the 2025 vote.
Golden Ball 2026 – list of nominees
- PSG: Ousmane Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Vilian Pacho, Fabián Ruiz, Ferran Torres, Vitinha.
- Real Madrid: Jude Bellingham, Marc Cucurella, Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior.
- Bayern Munich: Luis Díaz, Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Dayot Upamecano.
- Arsenal: Gabriel, Declan Rice, William Saliba.
- Barcelona: Pau Kubarsi, Lamine Yamal, Rodri.
- Manchester City: Erling Haaland.
- Inter: Lautaro Martínez.
- Inter Miami: Lionel Messi.
- Manchester United: Bruno Fernandes.
- Al-Nassr: Sadio Mané.
- Al-Qadisiyah: Julián Quiñones.
The Ballon d’Or has been awarded since 1956. Stan Matthews was its first winner.
The event is scheduled to take place in London on 26 October.
It is worth noting that Lionel Messi has once again confirmed his status as a legend of world football. Although Rodri received the official FIFA award for the best player of the 2026 World Cup, the international organisation IFFHS gave the nod to the Argentine.
