Harry Kane, Erling Haaland and eight-time winner Lionel Messi headline the 30-man shortlist for the 2026 Men's Ballon d'Or organisers France Football announced on Tuesday. Notably absent from the list is five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo.
Kane earned his nomination after a spectacular season with scoring 73 goals in 65 matches. He helped secure a domestic treble with Bayern Munich and led England to the World Cup semi-finals. Haaland netted 58 goals for Manchester City and Norway while Messi delivered 75 goal contributions for Inter Miami and guided Argentina to the World Cup final.
Other notable nominees for the men's award include Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Lamine Yamal.
The women's shortlist features Barcelona quadruple-winner Ewa Pajor, Spanish star Alexia Putellas and Manchester City’s prolific striker Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw.
For the Yashin Trophy, awarded to the best goalkeeper Cape Verde’s Vozinha earned a spot on the 10-man shortlist following his standout World Cup performances. He will compete against Spain's Unai Simon, Argentina's Emi Martinez and fellow African nominees Yassine Bounou and Edouard Mendy.
Marking a historic milestone the 70th edition of the Ballon d'Or ceremony will be held in London for the first time on October 26. The location was chosen as a special tribute to the award's inaugural winner Stanley Matthews.
