Paris [France], September 8 (ANI): Eight-time winner Lionel Messi, Norway star Erling Haaland, England and Bayern Munich superstar Harry Kane, Spain's FIFA World Cup-winning star Rodri, France skipper Kylian Mbappe and England's rising star Jude Bellingham are among the headliners in the nominations for the Men's Ballon d'Or award 2026.
The official X handle of Ballon d'Or, the highest individual honour in all of football, rolled out the nominations for the prestigious prize in the form of a star-studded list, which includes some of the biggest stars of the game having experienced immense success in the European football 2025-26 season and the FIFA World Cup 2026.
OUR 2026 MEN'S BALLON D'OR NOMINEES!
🏴 Jude Bellingham
🇪🇸 Pau Cubarsí
🇪🇸 Marc Cucurella
🇫🇷 Ousmane Dembélé
🇨🇴 Luis Díaz
🇵🇹 Bruno Fernandes
🇧🇷 Gabriel
🇳🇴 Erling Haaland
🇲🇦 Achraf Hakimi
🏴 Harry Kane
🇬🇪 Khvitcha Kvaratskhelia
🇪🇸 Lamine Yamal
🇸🇳 Sadio Mané
🇧🇷 Marquinhos
🇦🇷…
Here are all 30 nominees of the Men's Ballon d'Or 2026, listed as per their performances in the 2025/26 season:
-Lionel Messi (Argentina, Inter Miami)
45 goals, 30 assists and four yellow cards in 49 matches. Won the Major League Soccer (MLS) title and featured in Argentina's FIFA WC runners-up finish with a sensational record of eight goals and four assists, as per Ballon d'Or's official website.
-Erling Haaland (Norway, Manchester City)
Registered 58 goals, 11 assists and faced three yellow cards in 64 matches. He scored seven goals in Norway's landmark quarterfinal FIFA WC 2026 finish and won the FA Cup and EFL Cup title with Man City.
-Harry Kane (England, Bayern Munich)
Enjoyed a trophy rich-season with Bayern, winning Bundesliga, German Cup and German Super Cup, took England to FIFA WC semifinals, scoring six goals. Throughout the season, he scored 73 goals and delivered eight assists, facing just three yellow cards in 65 matches.
-Rodri (Spain, Manchester City/FC Barcelona)
Recently signed by FC Barcelona, Rodri was the 'Player of the Tournament' in Spain's WC-winning campaign and won the FA Cup, EFL Cup with Manchester City. He scored two goals and received six yellow cards, one red-card in 46 matches.
-Kylian Mbappe (France/Real Madrid)
Failed to win any trophies, but took France to the World Cup semifinals, ending the tournament with 10 goals, becoming the highest goal-scorer in tournament history with 22 goals. He scored 58 goals, 13 assists, faced eight yellow cards in the 60 matches played last season.
-Jude Bellingham (England, Real Madrid)
No major trophies won, but contributed with 15 goals and six assists in 52 matches, facing eight yellow cards last season. He was a part of England's 2026 FIFA WC semifinal-reaching team, scoring seven goals.
-Lamine Yamal (Spain/FC Barcelona)
In a trophy-filled season where he captured the World Cup, La Liga and Spanish Super Cup, he scored 25 goals and 20 assists in 57 matches, facing six yellow cards.
-Ousmane Dembele (France/PSG)
The 2025 winner has been nominated after a trophy-rich season, scoring 26 goals, delivering 14 assists across 51 matches, including a World Cup hat-trick. He won the UEFA Champions League, FIFA Intercontinental Cup, Ligue 1, UEFA Super Cup and French Super Cup with PSG.
-Vinicius Jr (Brazil/Real Madrid)
Despite no major trophies, Vinicius enjoyed a rich season with 28 goals and 16 assists in 66 matches, facing 11 yellow cards. In Brazil's round of 16 finish in the FIFA WC, he scored four goals and managed one assist.
-Pau Cubarsi (Spain/FC Barcelona)
The 19-year-old enjoyed the FIFA World Cup, La Liga, and Spanish Super Cup trophies with Spain and FC Barcelona, scoring a goal, delivering two assists, and facing five yellow cards and a red card in 62 matches.
-Marc Cucurella (Spain, Chelsea/Real Madrid)
Spain's World Cup-winning star was Real Madrid's summer signee, scoring two goals, delivering seven assists and facing 13 yellow cards and a red card in a great season which saw him win the FIFA WC.
-Luis Diaz (Colombia, Bayern Munich)
The Colombian star had a trophy-rich season, capturing domestic treble of the Bundesliga, German Cup, and the German Super Cup with Bayern, scoring 30 goals, delivering 23 assists, and facing 10 yellow cards and two red cards in the season.
-Bruno Fernandes (Portugal, Manchester United)
While he could not lead Portugal and Manchester United to trophies, he still had a fine season with 13 goals, 25 assists and seven yellow cards faced in 51 matches.
-Gabriel (Brazil, Arsenal)
Gabriel failed to capture the World Cup with five-time champions Brazil but won the Premier League with Arsenal after 22 years, scoring four goals, delivering six assists, and facing six yellow cards in 59 matches.
-Achraf Hakimi (Morocco/PSG)
The Morocco stalwart enjoyed a fine run in the World Cup, finishing in the quarterfinals. With PSG, he captured the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup, Ligue 1 and the AFCON title as well, scoring four goals, delivering 17 assists, facing six yellow cards and a red card in 49 matches.
-Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia/Paris-SG)
The Georgian star had an illustrious 2025-26 season, scoring 24 goals, 10 assists and facing four yellow cards in 57 matches for country and club, winning the UEFA Champions League, Ligue 1, FIFA Intercontinental Cup, UEFA European Cup and French Super Cup with PSG.
-Sadio Mane (Senegal/Al-Nassr)
The Senegalese veteran led Al Nassr to the Saudi Pro League title with his fine performances, delivering a total of 24 goals and 13 assists, facing eight yellow cards and a red card in 55 matches for club and country in the season.
-Marquinhos (Brazil/PSG)
The centre-back featured in 43 matches for club and country across the season, scoring two goals and facing three yellow cards. He captured five trophies with PSG, including Ligue 1 and the UEFA Champions League.
-Lautaro Martinez (Argentina/Inter Milan)
The Argentinian was crucial in his side's runners-up finish in the FIFA WC, scoring three goals. Overall, in a season where he captured Serie A and Italian Cup with Inter Milan, he scored 30 goals, delivered 10 assists and faced nine yellow cards across 55 matches for the club and country.
-Nuno Mendes (Portugal/PSG)
While World Cup success with Portugal eluded him, he earned five trophies with PSG, including the UEFA Champions League and Ligue 1, scoring seven goals and eight assists, facing five yellow cards across 53 matches in the entire season.
-Joao Neves (Portugal/PSG)
Another Portuguese star who could not lift the World Cup but enjoyed four trophies with PSG, including the Champions League, Intercontinental Cup, Ligue 1, and French Super Cup. He scored 11 goals, four assists and received two yellow cards in 49 matches for the club and country.
-Michael Olise (France/Bayern Munich)
While his side could only reach the World Cup semis, Olise enjoyed a lot of individual success in the tournament with seven assists, the most by a player in a single edition. The winner of Bundesliga, German Cup and the German Super Cup with Bayern Munich, he scored 27 goals, delivered 35 assists and faced 13 yellow cards in 69 matches for club and country.
-William Pacho (Ecuador/PSG)
The Ecuador star featured in his country's round of 32 finish at the World Cup and enjoyed five trophies with PSG, scoring two goals, delivering one assist and facing three yellow cards in 56 matches throughout the 2025-26 season.
-Julian Quinones (Mexico/Al-Qadsiah)
While he could not bring home a major trophy, he was a goal-scoring machine with 41 goals in 46 matches and also delivered five assists, while facing five yellow cards. He scored four goals and an assist in Mexico's round of 16 run in the FIFA WC as co-host.
-Declan Rice (England/Arsenal)
The star midfielder was a crucial cog in England's semifinal-reaching FIFA WC team and Premier League-winning Arsenal, scoring eight goals and 14 assists and facing nine yellow cards in 69 matches for club and country.
-Fabian Ruiz (Spain/PSG)
Fabian had a dream season, winning five titles, including the UEFA Champions League and Ligue 1 with PSG and a World Cup with Spain. The midfielder scored three goals, delivered six assists and faced four yellow cards in a 45-match season.
-William Saliba (France/Arsenal)
The Premier League winner with Arsenal, the centre-back scored a goal, an assist and faced three yellow cards in a 60-match season.
-Ferran Torres (Spain, FC Barcelona/PSG)
Spain's FIFA World Cup hero with an extra-time winner against Argentina in the final, the Spaniard recently signed with PSG and won La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup with FC Barcelona. He scored 25 goals, seven assists and received three yellow cards in a 65-match-long season.
-Dayot Upamecano (France/Bayern Munich)
The 27-year-old defender scored two goals and delivered four assists in 58 matches for the club and country, winning a domestic treble with Bayern Munich, including the Bundesliga.
-Vitinha (Portugal/PSG)
While the World Cup glory stayed away from him, he still enjoyed a lavish season with PSG, getting five trophies. The defensive midfielder scored seven goals, delivered 10 assists and faced three yellow cards in a 64-match season. (ANI)
