Ballon d’Or 2026 nominees announced

France Football has revealed the nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, with candidates announced across all award categories. The 70th ceremony will take place on Oct. 26 at The London Palladium in London.

The event will be held outside France for the first time. From 2010 to 2016, the award ceremony was organized in partnership with FIFA.

A panel of 100 journalists will vote in the men’s category, while 50 journalists will vote in the women’s category. Each juror will select a top 10 and assign points according to each player’s position on the ballot. The player who receives the most points will win.

The assessment period runs from August 2025 to July 2026 and includes performances at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada. Another change means candidates will not be required to play exclusively in Europe.

Ousmane Dembélé is the defending winner, while Lionel Messi remains the most successful player in the award’s history with eight victories. The men’s nominees include Jude Bellingham, Ousmane Dembélé, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal and Messi. The women’s list includes Alexia Putellas, Caroline Graham Hansen, Alessia Russo, Khadija Shaw and Wendie Renard, among others.