France Football has announced the 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, one of the most prestigious individual awards in men’s football, with Paris Saint-Germain leading the club race on the shortlist.
The nominees were announced on Tuesday, with the ceremony scheduled to take place in London on October 26.
The shortlist features leading players from across world football following a demanding season that included major competitions such as the UEFA Champions League and the World Cup.
PSG, who won the most recent Champions League, account for a third of the nominees, making them the most represented club on the shortlist.
Bayern Munich, Real Madrid and Barcelona follow with four nominees each, while Arsenal have three.
Manchester City have two nominees, while Chelsea, Manchester United, Inter Milan, Al-Nassr, Al-Qadsiah and Inter Miami have one each.
The 30 nominees are:
Achraf Hakimi — PSG
Bruno Fernandes — Manchester United
Dayot Upamecano — Bayern Munich
Declan Rice — Arsenal
Erling Haaland — Manchester City
Fabián Ruiz — PSG
Ferran Torres — Barcelona/PSG
Gabriel — Arsenal
Harry Kane — Bayern Munich
João Neves — PSG
Jude Bellingham — Real Madrid
Julián Quiñones — Al-Qadsiah
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia — PSG
Kylian Mbappé — Real Madrid
Lamine Yamal — Barcelona
Lautaro Martínez — Inter Milan
Lionel Messi — Inter Miami
Luis Díaz — Bayern Munich
Marc Cucurella — Chelsea/Real Madrid
Marquinhos — PSG
Michael Olise — Bayern Munich
Nuno Mendes — PSG
Ousmane Dembélé — PSG
Pau Cubarsí — Barcelona
Rodri — Manchester City/Barcelona
Sadio Mané — Al-Nassr
Vinicius Jr. — Real Madrid
Vitinha — PSG
William Saliba — Arsenal
Willian Pacho — PSG
Clubs with the most nominees
Paris Saint-Germain — 10
Bayern Munich — 4
Real Madrid — 4
Barcelona — 4
Arsenal — 3
Manchester City — 2
Chelsea — 1
Manchester United — 1
Inter Milan — 1
Al-Nassr — 1
Al-Qadsiah — 1
Inter Miami — 1
The organisers noted that players who changed clubs during the period under review, including Ferran Torres, Marc Cucurella and Rodri, are credited to both clubs because they represented each during the period.
The winner will be announced at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London on October 26.