The full list of Ballon d’Or 2026 nominees is out, and two players from a surprise league made it to the final round!
The full list of nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or and Ballon d’Or Feminin awards is out, and there are some surprising names on both lists.
Harry Kane is the favorite to win after scoring an amazing 72 goals for Bayern Munich this season. Spain’s World Cup win has also put Lamine Yamal into the spotlight, while PSG’s Khvicha Kvaratskhelia had a great season, helping his team win the Champions League.
On the women’s side, we will see a new winner for the first time since 2022 because Aitana Bonmati, who won three times in a row, isn’t nominated this year due to injury.
There are some unexpected picks in the men’s nominations too. Mexico’s striker Julian Quinones made the list for the first time after scoring four goals at the World Cup and playing for Al-Qadsiah in the Saudi Pro League. He is only the second Mexican ever nominated, after goalkeeper Guillermo Ochoa in 2010. Former Liverpool winger Sadio Mane is also in the running.
The top favorites to win the men’s award include Yamal, Kane, Kvaratskhelia, and Kylian Mbappe.
For the women, New London City captain Alexia Putellas leads the nominations. She won twice before, in 2021 and 2022, while playing for Barcelona. Her teammates, midfielder Patri Guijarro and striker Ewa Pajor, who helped win the Champions League too, are also strong contenders, along with Arsenal’s Alessia Russo and Manchester City’s Bunny Shaw and Yui Hasegawa.
Interestingly, the official Ballon d’Or website accidentally revealed some women’s nominees early, including Guijarro, Pajor, and Shaw, before quickly deleting the announcement.
Besides the main awards, there are also nominations for Men’s and Women’s Club of the Year, Young Talent of the Year, and Coach of the Year.
For Men’s Club of the Year, finalists Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain are nominated, along with Flamengo, Bodo/Glimt, and Bayern Munich. In the women’s category, Women’s Super League winners Manchester City are up for the award, as are Barcelona (Champions League winners), Club Monterrey, OL Lyonnes, and Bayern Munich.
Mikel Arteta, Luis Enrique, and Spain’s World Cup-winning coach Luis de la Fuente are all in the running for Men’s Coach of the Year.
For Women’s Young Talent, Barcelona’s Vicky Lopez and Clara Serrajordi are nominated, along with Chelsea’s Veerle Buurman, who is the only representative from the WSL.
For the men’s Young Talent category, Yan Diomande, Lamine Yamal, Lennart Karl, and Warren Zaire-Emery are nominated. The Premier League hopefuls include Aston Villa’s Johan Manzambi, Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi, and Manchester City’s Ayyoub Bouaddi.