Twenty years after his first Ballon d’Or nomination, Lionel Messi has made the cut for the 2026 edition as France Football unveiled the shortlist on Tuesday.

The shortlist was expectedly dominated by the best performers of the 2026 FIFA World Cup as well as the Paris Saint-Germain side that lifted a second successive Champions League title earlier this year. Messi, who had a record-breaking World Cup run leading Argentina to a runners-up finish behind Spain, was among three men named in the shortlist despite featuring in club football outside Europe. Al-Nassr’s Sadio Mané and Al-Qadsiah’s Julian Quinones join Messi in this club.

France superstar Kylian Mbappe, England and Bayern Munich forward Harry Kane and Spain’s World Cup-winning teenage sensation Lamine Yamal are among the front-runners for the award this year. Ousmane Dembele, who won the Ballon d’Or last year is also among the favourites after leading PSG to another CL title win.

Men’s Ballon d’Or 2026 Nominees

• Jude Bellingham (England/Real Madrid)
• Pau Cubarsi (Spain/Barcelona)
• Marc Cucurella (Spain/Real Madrid)
• Ousmane Dembélé (France/PSG)
• Luis Diaz (Colombia/Bayern Munich)
• Bruno Fernandes (Portugal/Manchester United)
• Erling Haaland (Norway/Manchester City)
• Gabriel Magalhães (Brazil/Arsenal)
• Harry Kane (England/Bayern Munich)
• Achraf Hakimi (Morocco/PSG)
• Lamine Yamal (Spain/Barcelona)
• Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia/PSG)
• Marquinhos (Brazil/PSG)
• Sadio Mane (Senegal/Al Nassr)
• Lautaro Martínez (Argentina/Inter Milan)
• Kylian Mbappe (France/Real Madrid)
• Lionel Messi (Argentina/Inter Miami)
• Michael Olise (France/Bayern Munich)
• João Neves (Portugal/PSG)
• Willian Pacho (Ecuador/PSG)
• Julian Quiñones (Mexico/AlQadsiah)
• Declan Rice (England/Arsenal)
• Rodri (Spain/Barcelona)
• Fabian Ruiz (Spain/PSG)
• William Saliba (France/Arsenal)
• Dayot Upamecano (France/Bayern Munich)
• Vitinha (Portugal/PSG)
• Ferran Torres (Spain/PSG)
• Vinicius Jr. (Brazil/Real Madrid)
• Nuno Mendes (Portugal/PSG)

Men’s Coach of the Year Nominees

• Mikel Arteta – Arsenal
• Luis de la Fuente – Spain
• Unai Emery – Aston Villa
• Vincent Kompany – Bayern Munich
• Luis Enrique – PSG

Women’s Ballon d’Or 2026 Nominees

• Selma Bacha — OL Lyonnes
• Barbra Banda — Orlando Pride
• Klara Bühl — Bayern Munich
• Esmee Brugts — Barcelona
• Mariona Caldentey — Arsenal
• Scarlett Camberos — Club América
• Kerstin Casparij — Manchester City
• Temwa Chawinga — Kansas City Current
• Cata Coll — Barcelona
• Melchie Dumornay — OL Lyonnes
• Caroline Graham Hansen — Barcelona
• Alex Greenwood — Manchester City
• Patri Guijarro — Barcelona
• Pernille Harder — Bayern Munich
• Yui Hasegawa — Manchester City
• Rose Lavelle — Gotham FC
• Mapi León — London City Lionesses
• Lorena — Kansas City Current
• Melvine Malard — Chelsea
• Manaka Matsukubo — Chelsea
• Vivianne Miedema — Manchester City
• Ewa Pajor — Barcelona
• Claudia Pina — Barcelona
• Alexia Putellas — London City Lionesses
• Wendie Renard — OL Lyonnes
• Alessia Russo — Arsenal
• Khadija Shaw — Manchester City
• Momoko Tanikawa — Bayern Munich
• Caroline Weir — OL Lyonnes
• Tessa Wullaert — Como

Women’s Coach of the Year Nominees

• Jonatan Giráldez — OL Lyonnes
• Andrée Jeglertz — Manchester City
• Nils Nielsen — Japan
• Pere Romeu — Barcelona
• Elena Sadiku — BK Häcken

Men’s Kopa Trophy Nominees (Best young player)

• Kerim Alajbegović (RB Salzburg/Juventus)
• Ayyoub Bouaddi (Lille/Manchester City)
• Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona)
• Yan Diomande (RB Leipzig/Real Madrid)
• Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich)
• Éli Junior Kroupi (Bournemouth)
• Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)
• Johan Manzambi (Aston Villa)
• Ibrahim Maza (Bayer Leverkusen)
• Warren Zaïre-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain)

Women’s Kopa Trophy Nominees (Best young player)

• Veerle Buurman (Chelsea)
• Vicky López (Barcelona)
• Felicia Schröder (BK Häcken/Real Madrid)
• Clara Serrajordi (Barcelona)
• Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes)

Men’s goalkeeper of the year (Yashin Trophy) nominees

• Yassine Bounou — Al Hilal
• Joan García — Barcelona
• Gregor Kobel — Borussia Dortmund
• Emiliano Martínez — Chelsea
• Edouard Mendy — Al Ahli
• David Raya — Arsenal
• Unai Simón — Athletic Bilbao
• Vozinha — Colo Colo
• Matvey Safonov — PSG
• Thibaut Courtois — Real Madrid

Women’s goalkeeper of the year nominees

• Hannah Hampton — Chelsea
• Lorena — Kansas City Current
• Ayaka Yamashita — Manchester City
• Cata Coll — Barcelona
• Ann-Katrin Berger — Gotham FC

2026 Men’s Team of the Year Nominees

• Arsenal
• Bayern Munich
• Bodø/Glimt
• Flamengo
• PSG

2026 Women’s Team of the Year Nominees

• FC Barcelona
• Bayern Munich
• Club América
• Manchester City
• Olympique Lyonnais