Ballon d'Or 2026 nominees list

France Football has revealed the list of candidates for the Best Player in the World award for 2026, featuring 30 players competing for the Ballon d'Or.

The 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place in the British capital, London, on Monday, October 26, 2026, amid competition featuring several of the world's top football stars.

The list features the presence of Argentine star Lionel Messi, player of Inter Miami, alongside a notable surprise in the form of Mexican Julián Quiñones, player of Al-Qadisiyah, among the nominees for the award.

In contrast, several prominent names were absent from the list of nominees, including FC Barcelona duo Pedri and Raphinha, as well as Egyptian Mohamed Salah, player of Trabzonspor.

The nominees for the 2026 Ballon d'Or have been announced.

The squad includes 30 players, namely:

Pau Cubarsí has joined FC Barcelona.

Jude Bellingham has joined Real Madrid.

Marc Cucurella has joined Real Madrid.

Ousmane Dembélé has joined Paris Saint-Germain.

Luis Díaz has joined Bayern Munich.

Bruno Fernandes - Manchester United

Gabriel Magalhães has joined Arsenal.

Erling Haaland has joined Manchester City.

Harry Kane has joined Bayern Munich.

Achraf Hakimi - Paris Saint-Germain

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has joined Paris Saint-Germain.

Lamine Yamal - FC Barcelona

Sadio Mané has joined Al Nassr.

Marquinhos - Paris Saint-Germain

Lautaro Martínez has joined Inter Miami.

Kylian Mbappé is once again at the centre of transfer speculation, with reports suggesting that Real Madrid are interested in signing the French forward.

Nuno Mendes has joined Paris Saint-Germain.

Lionel Messi has joined Inter Miami.

Michael Olise has joined Bayern Munich.

João Neves - Paris Saint-Germain

Willian Pacho has joined Paris Saint-Germain.

Julian Quinones has joined Al Qadsiah.

Declan Rice has joined Arsenal.

Rodri has joined FC Barcelona.

Ferran Torres has joined Paris Saint-Germain.

Dayot Upamecano - Bayern Munich

William Saliba - Arsenal

Fabian Ruiz has joined Paris Saint-Germain.

Vinícius Júnior has joined Real Madrid.

Vitinha has joined Paris Saint-Germain.