Ballon d'Or 2026 nominees list: Updated shortlist of players announced as soccer award contenders
France Football has released the 30-man shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, featuring stars like Ousmane Dembele and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. The list highlights the dominance of Paris Saint-Germain players and Spain's national team following the 2025-26 season.
Why it matters
The Ballon d'Or is the most prestigious individual honor in professional soccer, and this list sets the stage for the upcoming awards gala.
Ballon d'Or 2026 nominees list: Shortlist of players announced as PSG dominates soccer award nominations originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Ballon d'Or is considered the most prestigious individual award in soccer, and the 2026 gala is fast approaching.
On Tuesday (September 8), France Football revealed its 30-man shortlist for the award. Last year's men's winner Ousmane Dembele is in contention once again, but a new winner is expected to be crowned.
There's a decent chance it will be one of Dembele's Paris Saint-Germain teammates, with fellow forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia one of nine players nominated who starred for Luis Enrique's team during their dominant 2025-26 campaign.
Ferran Torres, who scored the winning goal for Spain in the World Cup final against Argentina and then joined PSG from Barcelona , is also nominated for the first time.
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