The nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, considered one of the most prestigious individual awards in world football, have been announced. This year, 30 footballers have been included in the initial list of candidates for the award, which has been presented by “France Football” magazine since 1956.

The nominees were selected based on the players’ performances and achievements during the period from August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026. For this reason, the list indicates the clubs for which the players competed during the previous season.

One of the main highlights of this year’s list is the inclusion of 10 players from Champions League winners PSG. Thus, for the first time in the history of the award, 10 players from a single club have been included among the 30 Ballon d’Or nominees. This became a record in the history of the award.

The distribution of nominees by club is as follows:

  • PSG — 10 players;

  • Bayern Munich — 4;

  • Arsenal — 3;

  • Barcelona — 3;

  • Real Madrid — 3;

  • Manchester City — 2;

  • Manchester United — 1;

  • Chelsea — 1;

  • Inter — 1;

  • Inter Miami — 1;

  • Al-Nassr — 1;

  • Al-Qadsiah — 1.

The winner of the Ballon d’Or is determined based on a footballer’s individual performances during the previous season, their team’s achievements and their performances in important matches. Strong competition is also expected in the race for the 2026 award.