Nominees For Ballon d'Or 2026 Announced; Lionel Messi Breaks Ronaldo’s Record
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The nominees for the Ballon d'Or 2026 have been announced, including 30 players such as Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane, and defending champion Ousmane Dembele. Lionel Messi is one of the nominees yet again, and he has surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo’s record this time.
Messi’s two-decade-long presence in Ballon d’Or
Messi has become the first player ever to span 20 years between his first and last nomination. The Argentine star has broken Ronaldo’s record at the age of 39. Messi’s inclusion, announced by France Football on Tuesday, means that his span on the nominees list ranges from 2006 to 2026.
Strong PSG presence
The 30-man shortlist includes 10 names from the French champions Paris Saint-Germain. Real Madrid have four representatives, while Barcelona and Bayern Munich also have several players on the list.
Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha and Willian Pacho are the representatives from PSG in the list.
Messi is included; Ronaldo is excluded from the list
Harry Kane enters the race with a remarkable campaign, scoring 73 goals for he club and country. Mbappe is another leading contender, while Lamine Yamal remains an emerging star in world football. Dembele will be aiming to retain his award from 2025.
Lionel Messi is included in the shortlist once again but Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo has found no place in the list.
Yamal aiming to win Copa Trophy
Yamal has his eyes on the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best Under-21 player in world football. Yamal has won the award in the last two editions and will aim to win it three times in a row.
Pau Cubarsi and Warren Zaire-Emery are also emerging talents across Europe and strong contenders for the title.
New winner for Yashin Trophy
The Yashin Trophy, given to the best goalkeeper of the year will get a new winner this time as 2025 champion Gianluigi Donnarumma has failed to make it into the list. Thibaut Courtois, Joan Garcia and David Raya are some other high-profile names in the list.
Coach of the Year Nominees
Arsenal's Mikel Arteta, Bayern Munich's Vincent Kompany and Paris Saint-Germain coach Luis Enrique are among the nominees. Aston Villa's Unai Emery and Spain national team boss Luis de la Fuente complete the list of nominees for the award.
MEN'S BALLON D'OR NOMINEES
Jude Bellingham, Real Madrid
Pau Cubarsi, Barcelona
Marc Cucurella, Chelsea/Real Madrid
Ousmane Dembele, Paris Saint-Germain
Luis Diaz, Bayern Munich
Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United
Gabriel, Arsenal
Erling Haaland, Manchester City
Achraf Hakimi, Paris Saint-Germain
Harry Kane, Bayern Munich
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Paris Saint-Germain
Lamine Yamal, Barcelona
Sadio Mane, Al Nassr
Marquinhos, Paris Saint-Germain
Lautaro Martinez, Inter Milan
Kylian Mbappe, Real Madrid
Nuno Mendes, Paris Saint-Germain
Lionel Messi, Inter Miami
Joao Neves, Paris Saint-Germain
Michael Olise, Bayern Munich
Willian Pacho, Paris Saint-Germain
Julian Quinones, Al Qadsiah
Declan Rice, Arsenal
Rodri, Manchester City/Barcelona
Fabian Ruiz, Paris Saint-Germain
William Saliba, Arsenal
Ferran Torres, Barcelona/Paris Saint-Germain
Dayot Upamecano, Bayern Munich
Vinicius Junior, Real Madrid
Vitinha, Paris Saint-Germain