Ballon d’Or 2026 Nominees Officially Released

France Football, organisers of the Ballon d’Or awards, have officially released the list of nominees for the 2026 edition of the prestigious football honours, with the ceremony scheduled to take place in London on October 26.

The publication of the nominees on Tuesday marks the beginning of the final stage of voting for the world’s most recognised individual football award, with players, clubs and performances from the 2025/2026 season under consideration.

Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé enters the competition as the defending Ballon d’Or winner after defeating Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal in last year’s final ranking.

The 2026 ceremony will be held in London, United Kingdom, where winners across several categories will be announced, including the men’s and women’s Ballon d’Or awards.

The initial nominee announcement included shortlisted clubs competing for the Club of the Year awards.

For the Women’s Club of the Year category, the nominees are Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Club América, Manchester City and OL Lyonnes.

The nominees for the Men’s Club of the Year award are Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Bodø/Glimt, Flamengo and Paris Saint-Germain.

France Football is expected to release the complete player nominee lists for the men’s and women’s Ballon d’Or categories as the announcement process continues.

The award ceremony will bring together the world’s leading footballers, coaches and clubs as they compete for recognition based on performances during the 2025/2026 football season.