The 30-man shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d'Or has been released, with Lionel Messi returning to the list of nominees for one of football's most prestigious individual awards. The Argentine has been included for the 17th time in his career and is now just one nomination away from Cristiano Ronaldo's record, who leads the all-time list with 18 nominations.
This year's list is dominated by players from world champions Spain, while Paris Saint-Germain has an exceptional representation after their Champions League triumph. Among the 30 candidates are names such as Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Lamine Yamal, Vinicius Junior, Rodri and Vitinha.
Messi is the only MLS representative on the list, while Saudi Arabia includes Sadio Mane of Al-Nassr and Julian Quinones of Al-Qadsiah. The 39-year-old Argentine's inclusion comes after an incredible season in which he continued to be one of the leading figures in world football, leading Inter Miami and Argentina to the most important challenges.
In the all-time ranking for the number of nominations, Cristiano Ronaldo leads with 18, followed by Messi with 17. They are followed by Paolo Maldini with 13 nominations, while Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer and Karim Benzema have 12 each. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Gianluigi Buffon, Zinedine Zidane, Michel Platini and Eusebio complete the list of names with 11 nominations.
However, in terms of trophies won, Messi remains significantly ahead of his historical rival. The Argentine has won eight Ballon d'Ors, while Ronaldo has won the award five times. They are the only two footballers to have won the award multiple times in the 21st century.
One of the biggest surprises of this year's list is the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo, who is not included in the 30 candidates. His last nomination came in 2022.
The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place on October 26 in London, at the London Palladium, in a special edition that coincides with the 70th anniversary of the award.
