The race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or enters its final stage on Tuesday, September 8, as France Football begins announcing the nominees for this year’s awards.
The 70th edition of the Ballon d’Or will take place on October 26, in London, the first time the ceremony will be held in the UK. The venue choice marks the anniversary of the award, which was first won by England’s Stanley Matthews in 1956.
The main men’s and women’s Ballon d’Or categories will each feature 30 nominees. The awards will consider performances during the 2025/26 season, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup. 
Ballon D’or nominee women’s category
Selma Bacha, Barbra Banda, Klara Buhl, Rose Lavelle, Mani Leon, Lorena, Esmee Brugts, Melyine Malard, Mariona Caldentey, Manaka Matsukubo. Also making the list are Vivianne Miedema, Ewa Pajor, Claudia Pina, Alexia Putellas, Wendie Renard, Alessia Russo, Khadijah Shaw. Momoko Tanikawa, Caroline Weir, Tessa Wullaert, Scarlett Camberos, Kerstin Casparij, Temwa Chawinga were also nominated. Cata coll, Melchie Dumornay, Caroline Graham Hansen, Alex Greenwood, Pal Guijarro, Penile Harder, Yui Hasegawa also qualified to be on the list.
Ballon D’or nominee men’s category
The men’s category list has Jude Bellingham, Pau Cubarsi, Marc Cucurella, Ousmane Dembele, Luis Díaz, Bruno Fernandes, Gabriel, Erling Haaland Achraf Hakimi. Also, Harry Kane, Khvicha Kvaratskhella, Lamine Yamal, Sadio Mané, Marquinhos, Lautaro Martinez, Kylian Mbappe made it. Nuno Mendes, Lionel Messi, João Neves, Michael Olise, Willian Pacho, Julián Quiñones are also in it. Declan Rice, Rodri, Fabián Ruiz, William Saliba, Ferran Torn, Daval Incano, Vinicius Jr., Vitinha too.
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Other Categories
Women’s club of the year’s list has FC Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Club America, Manchester United, Ol Lynnes.
While Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Bodø/Glimt, Flamengo and Paris Saint-Germain nominated for the Men’s Club of the Year award.
Women’s coach of the year: Jonatan Giraldez, Andree Jeglertz, Nils Nielsen, Pere Romeu, Elena Sadiku,
Men’s coach of the year’s list has Mikel Arteta, Unia Emery, Luis De La Fuente, Vincent Kompany, Luis Enrique
Women’s goal keeper of the year, on the other hand named Ann-Katrin Berger, Cata Coll, Hannah Hampton, Lorena,Ayaka Yamashita
Men’s goal keeper of the year: Yassine Bounou, Thibaut Courtois, Joan García, Gregor Kobel, Emiliano Martínez, Édouard Mendy, David Raya, Matvey Safonov, Unai Simón, Vozinha
Women’s young talent nominee of the year: Verlee Buurman, Vicky Lopez, Felicia Schroeder, Clara Serrajordi, Lily Yohannes,
Men’s young talent nominee of the year: Ayyoub Bouaddi, Kerim Alajbegovic, Yan Diomande, Pau Cubarsi, Eli Junior Kroupi, Lamine Yamal, Johan Manzambi
The nominees will compete for an award decided by an international jury of football journalists. The winners will be announced at the London ceremony on October 26.
The full shortlist is expected to settle months of speculation over who has done enough to challenge for football’s most prestigious individual prize.
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