The 2026 Ballon d'Or: Every Nominee, Every Case

Football doesn't usually hand you a season this messy to judge, which is exactly why the 2026 Ballon d'Or is such a good one to argue about.

Start with the calendar. This is a World Cup year, and Spain's extra-time win over Argentina in the final throws a genuine wrench into every conversation about the main award. Rodri walked away with the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player, but his Manchester City season was hit by injury and delivered no major trophy before he left for Barcelona this summer.

Kylian Mbappé scored a second straight World Cup Golden Boot and 58 club goals for Real Madrid  who won absolutely nothing all season. Lamine Yamal did almost everything right in both shirts. None of that is a clean story, and that's before you get to Harry Kane finally collecting his first senior trophies at 32 behind a 73-goal season, or Ousmane Dembélé trying to defend his title from inside a Paris Saint-Germain squad so loaded that nine of his teammates are nominated alongside him, after PSG went the distance again and beat Arsenal in the Champions League final.

The women's race lost its most obvious storyline early. Aitana Bonmatí, chasing a fourth straight win, isn't nominated after injuries wrecked her season. That opens the door for a Barcelona squad that swept the Champions League, La Liga, Copa de la Reina and Spanish Super Cup. Seven of their players made the 30, which means their own dominance might work against any single one of them at the ballot box.

There's a genuine surprise in the goal, too. Gianluigi Donnarumma, who won the Yashin Trophy last year, isn't on the shortlist at all; he left PSG in a contract standoff before a ball was even kicked this season.

This piece runs through every nominee across the main individual categories: the men's and women's Ballon d'Or, the Yashin, Kopa and Johan Cruyff Trophies, plus a look at the Gerd Müller Trophy race, which  unlike the others  hasn't had an official shortlist published as of writing. For each nominee, the aim isn't a biography. It's the case: why are they here, and what's the strongest argument for them winning? Winners get named at a ceremony in London on 26 October, the award's 70th edition and the first ever held outside Paris, honouring inaugural winner Sir Stanley Matthews.

2026 Ballon d'Or Men's Nominees: Every Player and Their Case

Jude Bellingham  Real Madrid, England No major honours to point to this season, which is rare for him. He kept producing box-to-box numbers (15 goals, 6 assists) for a Real Madrid side that won nothing all year, and helped England to third place at the World Cup. Without team silverware, his case leans almost entirely on individual influence.

Pau Cubarsí  FC Barcelona, Spain Just 19, and already a World Cup winner, La Liga champion and the tournament's official best young player. Cubarsí anchored a Spain defence that conceded once all tournament, then did the same for Barça domestically. Remarkably composed for his age, with a genuine Kopa case sitting alongside this one.

Marc Cucurella  Chelsea / Real Madrid, Spain A World Cup winner with Spain who completed a surprise summer move from Chelsea to Real Madrid. His output at Chelsea (2 goals, 7 assists) was solid rather than spectacular, so this nomination leans on his part in Spain's title run rather than a standout club season.

Ousmane Dembélé  Paris Saint-Germain, France The reigning champion, and PSG's talisman as they retained the Champions League and added the Intercontinental Cup, European Super Cup and Ligue 1. Twenty-six goals and fourteen assists, with injuries at points along the way. The case: nobody drove more collective success from an attacking position this season.

Luis Díaz  Bayern Munich, Colombia Bayern's leading attacking threat with 30 goals and 23 assists in all competitions, key to a Bundesliga, German Cup and Super Cup treble. No team silverware from international duty to add on top, so this case is built almost entirely on a monster season in Munich.

Bruno Fernandes  Manchester United, Portugal United's outlet for everything creative in a trophyless season  13 goals and a league-high 25 assists. It's an outrageous statline for a team that finished with nothing, and that's also the issue: without team success behind him, the case rests on individual numbers alone.

Gabriel Magalhães  Arsenal, Brazil A genuine defender's case, which the Ballon d'Or rarely rewards. Gabriel was central to Arsenal's first Premier League title in over two decades and their run to the Champions League final, reliable in both boxes throughout. Four goals from centre-back is a bonus on top of the defensive work.

Erling Haaland  Manchester City, Norway Fifty-eight goals in 64 games is Haaland doing what Haaland does, but City's season yielded only the FA Cup and EFL Cup, no Premier League, no Champions League, and Pep Guardiola's exit added turbulence. Elite individual numbers inside a City side that quietly regressed.

Achraf Hakimi  Paris Saint-Germain, Morocco A key cog in PSG's trophy sweep from right-back, with 17 assists showing how much of their attack ran through him. His AFCON success with Morocco remains subject to a CAS ruling. One of the more underrated names on this list purely on team contribution.

Harry Kane  Bayern Munich, England Seventy-three goals in 65 matches. That number alone should make him a frontrunner, and it arrived with the first trophies of his senior career  Bundesliga, German Cup, German Super Cup  after years of near-misses. Raw output plus long-overdue silverware is a powerful combination.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia  Paris Saint-Germain, Georgia Twenty-four goals and ten assists in a front line stacked with talent, still one of PSG's most explosive attackers when it mattered in Europe. Part of a squad that won almost everything, which both helps and complicates his case, team success is shared among nine PSG nominees here.

Lamine Yamal  FC Barcelona, Spain Just 19 and already a World Cup winner, La Liga champion and back-to-back Kopa Trophy holder. Twenty-five goals, twenty assists, and consistently the difference-maker in Barcelona's biggest games. If the vote rewards the complete package  youth, trophies, numbers, big-game impact  he's impossible to ignore.

Sadio Mané  Al-Nassr, Senegal Twenty-four goals and thirteen assists fuelled Al-Nassr's Saudi Pro League title, proof his level hasn't dropped since leaving Europe. The honest issue: voters have historically discounted performances outside Europe's top leagues, so a nomination is likely as far as this run goes.

Marquinhos  Paris Saint-Germain, Brazil PSG's defensive marshal through a season that delivered nearly every trophy on offer. Two goals from centre-back won't turn heads, but his leadership and consistency were part of the platform everything else was built on. A case built on team success rather than individual output.

Lautaro Martínez  Inter Milan, Argentina Thirty goals fired Inter to the Serie A and Italian Cup double, and he remains one of the most complete strikers in Europe, strong in the air, sharp in tight spaces, always available. A genuinely strong domestic season, without a continental or international peak to push it further.

Kylian Mbappé  Real Madrid, France Fifty-eight club goals and a second straight World Cup Golden Boot (10 goals, a record 22 career World Cup goals) make his season statistically enormous. But Real Madrid won nothing, and France finished fourth. Individually spectacular, collectively empty  the exact dilemma that has decided votes before.

Nuno Mendes  Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal An attacking full-back who kept producing (7 goals, 8 assists) while helping PSG sweep almost every trophy available. Not the headline act in Paris, but a reliable, high-output presence in a squad that rarely had a weak link all season.

Lionel Messi  Inter Miami, Argentina At 38: an MLS Cup, 45 goals, 30 assists, and a World Cup final with Argentina, where he took the Silver Ball behind Rodri. This is his 17th nomination, chasing a record-extending ninth win. The output is absurd for his age, even if the level of competition invites scepticism.

João Neves, Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal A deep-lying engine for a PSG side that won almost everything, contributing from midfield despite a stop-start season hampered by injuries. His trophy haul mirrors his PSG teammates', while his individual numbers are modest by comparison  this nomination leans heavily on collective success. (See Fact-Check Notes.)

Michael Olise  Bayern Munich, France Twenty-seven goals and a league-leading 35 assists is an outrageous season by any creative player's standard, central to Bayern's treble. Arguably the most productive wide player in Europe this year, even if Bayern's overall dominance means the credit gets shared around.

Willian Pacho  Paris Saint-Germain, Ecuador Another defensive piece in PSG's near-sweep of available trophies, dependable rather than spectacular, with two goals across the season. His nomination says more about PSG's collective depth than any standout individual moment, a squad deep enough that squad players get Ballon d'Or looks.

Julián Quiñones  Al-Qadsiah, Mexico Forty-one goals in 46 matches is a startling tally, built almost entirely in the Saudi Pro League without European or major international competition to test it against. Impossible to ignore the number, hard to weigh it against the level, and unlikely to go beyond this nomination.

Declan Rice  Arsenal, England Eight goals and fourteen assists from central midfield, a big jump in output as Arsenal won the Premier League and reached the Champions League final. Increasingly the heartbeat of both club and country, doing a bit of everything without needing to be the one scoring.

Rodri  Manchester City / FC Barcelona, Spain World Cup winner, World Cup Golden Ball winner, then a move to Barcelona this summer. The problem: his City season was hit hard by injury with just 2 goals in 46 matches, no Premier League, no Champions League. The classic tournament-year dilemma: colossal international impact, quiet club season.

Fabián Ruiz  Paris Saint-Germain, Spain A World Cup winner with Spain and a key rotation piece in PSG's trophy sweep, contributing six assists from midfield. Solid rather than spectacular individually, his case rests on being part of two of the season's most dominant collectives rather than any single standout moment.

William Saliba  Arsenal, France The defensive foundation of Arsenal's title-winning, Champions League-final season, rarely beaten and increasingly mentioned among Europe's best centre-backs. One goal, one assist, the numbers were never the point. Like Gabriel, this case is built on what didn't happen: goals conceded, chances missed.

Ferran Torres  FC Barcelona / Paris Saint-Germain, Spain Scored the winning goal in the World Cup final against Argentina, then joined PSG from Barcelona this summer after helping them win La Liga. Twenty-five goals in total, plus one of the biggest single moments of the entire football calendar attached to his name.

Dayot Upamecano  Bayern Munich, France Part of Bayern's back line through their Bundesliga, German Cup and Super Cup sweep, steady and increasingly commanding as a defensive leader. Not a nomination built on flashy numbers, but on being central to one of Europe's most dominant domestic seasons.

Vinícius Jr.  Real Madrid, Brazil Twenty-eight goals and sixteen assists, arguably Real Madrid's most dangerous attacker in a season that still ended without a trophy. The individual numbers are there; the team context isn't, which has weighed against similar candidates before.

Vitinha  Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal The engine of PSG's midfield in a season that delivered the Champions League and Ligue 1, third in last year's voting and building a genuine long-term case. Seven goals, ten assists, and arguably as important to PSG's identity as anyone not named Dembélé.

2026 Women's Ballon d'Or Nominees: Every Player and Their Case

The women's race lost its most obvious storyline early

Alexia Putellas  FC Barcelona / London City Lionesses, Spain Named best player of the 2025-26 Champions League as Barcelona swept the continental and domestic treble, plus Spain's Nations League title  26 goals, 15 assists, before a summer move to London. A two-time Ballon d'Or winner with arguably her most complete case yet.

Selma Bacha  OL Lyonnes, France Thirteen assists from left-back, the engine of Lyonnes' domestic treble (league, cup, league cup). Not a case built on scoring, but on relentless service from deep, the kind of two-way full-back play that decides tight seasons without dominating the headline numbers.

Barbra Banda  Orlando Pride, Zambia Fourteen goals in 21 matches for Orlando Pride, without team silverware behind it. A strong scoring return in the NWSL, but this nomination rests almost entirely on individual output rather than any collective achievement this season.

Klara Bühl  Bayern Munich, Germany Ten goals but a startling 23 assists, central to Bayern's Bundesliga, German Cup and Super Cup sweep. One of the most productive wide players in the women's game this season, even inside a squad already loaded with attacking talent.

Esmee Brugts  FC Barcelona, Netherlands Thirteen goals and eleven assists in a Barcelona side that won the Champions League, Liga, Copa de la Reina and Spanish Super Cup. A key rotation piece in arguably the most dominant club season in the women's game this year, if not always the headline name.

Mariona Caldentey  Arsenal, Spain Seven goals, ten assists, and a Nations League title with Spain. Arsenal's own season ended in a Champions League semi-final heartbreak against Lyon, so her case leans more on international success and consistent club output than a trophy-laden club campaign. (See Fact-Check Notes.)

Scarlett Camberos  Club América, Mexico Twenty-seven goals fired Club América to the CONCACAF Champions Cup and Mexican Closing Championship double  arguably the best season by an attacker outside Europe or the NWSL's top tier this year. A serious tally that deserves more attention than it's likely to get.

Kerstin Casparij  Manchester City, Netherlands Nine assists from full-back as Manchester City completed the WSL and FA Cup double. A modern, attack-minded defender whose case rests on service and reliability rather than goals  the kind of player title-winning teams need, even without eye-catching stats.

Temwa Chawinga  Kansas City Current, Malawi Fifteen goals in 22 matches helped Kansas City to the NWSL Shield. A strong, efficient season for one of the league's most dangerous forwards, even if it stays under the radar next to the European names on this list.

Cata Coll  FC Barcelona, Spain A World Cup-winning goalkeeper for Spain who then anchored a Barcelona defence through their continental and domestic sweep  23 clean sheets in the process. Rare for a keeper to make the main 30, which says everything about how complete her season was.

Melchie Dumornay  OL Lyonnes, Haiti Twenty-one goals and twelve assists as Lyonnes swept the French domestic treble. One of the most complete attacking midfielders in the women's game, doing damage in front of goal and creating chances at an equally high rate.

Caroline Graham Hansen  FC Barcelona, Norway Seventeen goals, sixteen assists, and a full continental and domestic sweep with Barcelona. A veteran of this list who keeps producing at an elite, consistent level year after year for the game's most dominant club side.

Alex Greenwood  Manchester City, England A steady, experienced presence in Manchester City's WSL and FA Cup-winning defence, with seven assists showing there's more to her game than defending alone. Not a flashy nomination, but a deserved one for reliability at the back.

Patri Guijarro  FC Barcelona, Spain The midfield metronome behind Barcelona's sweep, doing the unglamorous work that lets Barcelona's forwards flourish. Four goals, eleven assists, modest raw numbers for an outsized defensive and creative influence on the team.

Pernille Harder  Bayern Munich, Denmark Thirty-five goals is a huge tally, central to Bayern's Bundesliga, German Cup and Super Cup treble. One of the most prolific and consistent forwards in the women's game, still delivering at an elite level season after season.

Yui Hasegawa  Manchester City, Japan An Asian Cup winner with Japan and a title-winning presence in Manchester City's WSL and FA Cup double, contributing six goals and seven assists from midfield. Reliable rather than spectacular, but always part of winning sides.

Rose Lavelle  Gotham FC, USA Fourteen goals in an NWSL and US Super Cup double-winning campaign with Gotham FC, continuing to be one of the most dangerous attacking midfielders in the American game. A strong domestic season without a major international tournament to lean on this cycle.

Mapi León  FC Barcelona / London City Lionesses, Spain Part of Spain's Nations League win and Barcelona's continental and domestic sweep, before a summer move to London City Lionesses. Nine assists from centre-back shows how comfortable she is carrying the ball out from the back  still one of the best defenders in the game.

Lorena  Kansas City Current, Brazil Twelve clean sheets in an NWSL Shield-winning campaign in goal for Kansas City. A strong season individually, though without a major international tournament or deep continental run to push her case further up this list.

Melvine Malard  Manchester United / Chelsea, France Fifteen goals and eleven assists across a season split between Manchester United and Chelsea, without team silverware to show for it. A talented forward whose case is built purely on individual output during a season of upheaval.

Manaka Matsukubo  North Carolina Courage / Chelsea, Japan An Asian Cup winner with Japan who also impressed at club level, split between North Carolina Courage and Chelsea, contributing thirteen goals across the season. A breakout international campaign is doing a lot of the heavy lifting here.

Vivianne Miedema  Manchester City, Netherlands Eighteen goals in just 30 matches, an efficient return as Manchester City won the WSL and FA Cup. A reminder that even inside a stacked City attack, her finishing instincts remain among the sharpest in the women's game.

Ewa Pajor  FC Barcelona, Poland The reigning Gerd Müller Trophy winner backed it up with 34 goals and Barcelona's full sweep, finishing as the Champions League's own top scorer along the way. One of the most consistent goal threats in the sport right now.

Claudia Pina  FC Barcelona, Spain Thirty-two goals and nine assists, arguably Barcelona's most complete attacking weapon through a season that delivered nearly every trophy on offer. A serious statistical season that puts her firmly in the conversation for the top of this list.

Wendie Renard  OL Lyonnes, France A veteran leader in Lyonnes' treble-winning defence, still scoring from centre-back (10 goals) and marshalling a title-winning backline deep into her career. Consistency and leadership rather than flashy numbers make this case.

Alessia Russo  Arsenal, England Twenty-nine goals in a season that ended in Champions League semi-final disappointment against Lyon. A big statistical season individually, even without the continental trophy her tally might otherwise have been attached to. (See Fact-Check Notes.)

Khadija Shaw  Manchester City, Jamaica Thirty-six goals in 36 matches  essentially a goal a game  as Manchester City won the WSL and FA Cup double. One of the most efficient strikers anywhere in the women's game this season, full stop.

Momoko Tanikawa  Bayern Munich, Japan An Asian Cup winner with Japan who also played her part in Bayern's Bundesliga, German Cup and Super Cup treble, contributing 17 goals along the way. A strong season on both fronts, club and country.

Caroline Weir  Real Madrid / OL Lyonnes, Scotland Thirty-two goals and thirteen assists across a season split between Real Madrid and OL Lyonnes, without team silverware to point to. A big individual season in terms of raw output, light on collective reward.

Tessa Wullaert  Inter Milan / Como, Belgium Twenty-nine goals and fifteen assists across a season split between two Italian clubs, an outstanding individual return without team trophies behind it. Consistently one of the most prolific forwards in Serie A Femminile.

Yashin Trophy  Best Goalkeeper

The reigning winner, Gianluigi Donnarumma, isn't here. He left PSG in a contract standoff before the season started, with Lucas Chevalier taking over between the posts in Paris  which threw the men's category wide open.

Men's Nominees

Yassine Bounou  Al-Hilal, Morocco Thirty clean sheets in 58 matches is an outstanding return, though it comes in the Saudi Pro League rather than one of Europe's top divisions. Only the Saudi King's Cup to show for it collectively, but the shot-stopping numbers speak for themselves.

Thibaut Courtois  Real Madrid, Belgium Twenty-three clean sheets while playing behind a Real Madrid side that won nothing all season  arguably kept them competitive on his own in stretches. No team trophy hurts the case, but few keepers were asked to do more individually.

Joan García  FC Barcelona, Spain A World Cup winner with Spain in his first season at Barcelona, with 19 clean sheets as Barça won the Liga and Spanish Super Cup. A big first year at a big club, capped by international glory.

Gregor Kobel  Borussia Dortmund, Switzerland Twenty-four clean sheets despite conceding 70 goals across a demanding 61-match season, without team silverware to show for it. Consistently excellent individually in a Dortmund side that leaned on him heavily all year.

Emiliano Martínez  Aston Villa / Chelsea, Argentina A Europa League winner with Aston Villa before a summer move to Chelsea, with 20 clean sheets and his usual big-game presence and penalty-shootout pedigree. Still one of the most reliable shot-stoppers in the Premier League.

Édouard Mendy  Al-Ahli, Senegal Twenty-eight clean sheets and an Asian Champions League and Saudi Super Cup double with Al-Ahli. A strong season by any measure, even if it happened outside the leagues that tend to draw the most voting attention.

David Raya  Arsenal, Spain A World Cup winner with Spain and the last line behind Arsenal's Premier League title and Champions League final run, with 29 clean sheets in 53 matches. Understated but essential  the kind of season that rarely gets discussed until people check the numbers.

Matvey Safonov  Paris Saint-Germain, Russia Not PSG's first-choice for most of the season, but reliable when called upon, with 12 clean sheets in 31 matches as PSG swept the Champions League, Intercontinental Cup, Super Cup and Ligue 1. A squad-role nomination built on team success.

Unai Simón  Athletic Bilbao, Spain The World Cup Golden Glove winner, starring behind a Spain defence that conceded just once across the entire tournament. Twenty-two clean sheets for Athletic Bilbao domestically is  arguably the standout name in this category on both club and country form.

Vozinha  GD Chaves / Colo-Colo, Cape Verde Thirteen clean sheets across a season split between Portugal and Chile, a surprise name on the list without major team silverware behind it. His nomination reflects a strong individual campaign well outside the usual spotlight.

Women's Nominees

Ann-Katrin Berger  Gotham FC, Germany Twenty-three clean sheets in 36 matches as Gotham FC won the NWSL and NWSL Challenge Cup double. A commanding season between the posts in a league that keeps producing strong goalkeeping performances.

Cata Coll  FC Barcelona, Spain Also up for the main Ballon d'Or after 23 clean sheets behind a Barcelona side that swept the Champions League, Liga, Copa de la Reina and Spanish Super Cup. Arguably the standout name in this category given the sheer weight of team success behind her.

Hannah Hampton  Chelsea, England The reigning Yashin Trophy winner, back again after 18 clean sheets for Chelsea, though her only trophy this season was the FA League Cup, a quieter campaign than the title-winning form that won her the award last year.

Lorena  Kansas City Current, Brazil Twelve clean sheets as Kansas City won the NWSL Shield, a strong season for one of the league's most consistent goalkeepers, even without a deep continental or international tournament to boost her profile further.

Ayaka Yamashita  Manchester City, Japan An Asian Cup winner with Japan and part of Manchester City's WSL and FA Cup-winning campaign, with 13 clean sheets across the season. Silverware on both club and international duty makes for a well-rounded case.

Kopa Trophy  Young Player of the Year

Lamine Yamal is going for an unprecedented third straight Kopa Trophy after winning in 2024 and 2025  a genuine storyline running through the men's category on its own.

Men's Nominees

Kerim Alajbegović  RB Salzburg → Juventus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 18 Fourteen goals and six assists at Salzburg were enough to earn a summer move to Juventus. First Kopa nomination for a teenage forward who's already shown he can produce numbers at a solid European level.

Ayyoub Bouaddi  Lille → Manchester City, Morocco, 18 A defensive midfielder who's already drawn interest from Manchester City at 18, on the back of a season where his ball-winning and composure stood out more than end product (1 goal, 2 assists). Second Kopa nomination, having finished ninth in 2025.

Pau Cubarsí  FC Barcelona, Spain, 19 A World Cup winner and La Liga champion who also finished as the tournament's official best young player. Third Kopa nomination, having finished fifth in 2024  arguably the most complete season of anyone on this shortlist, at either end of the pitch.

Yan Diomandé  RB Leipzig → Real Madrid, Ivory Coast, 19 Sixteen goals and ten assists at RB Leipzig earned a big move to Real Madrid this summer. A genuine breakout season in the Bundesliga for an attacker now stepping straight into one of the biggest clubs in the world.

Lennart Karl  Bayern Munich, Germany, 18 Twelve goals and eight assists as a teenager breaking into a stacked Bayern attack, part of their Bundesliga, German Cup and Super Cup treble. First nomination, and already trusted in a genuinely trophy-laden squad at 18.

Éli Junior Kroupi  Bournemouth, France, 20 Sixteen goals without a single assist for Bournemouth, a pure goalscorer's season without team silverware behind it. First Kopa nomination for a forward whose finishing has clearly caught the voters' attention this year.

Lamine Yamal  FC Barcelona, Spain, 19 Going for an unprecedented third straight Kopa Trophy. Twenty-five goals, twenty assists, a World Cup and a La Liga title make this close to an unbeatable case among his fellow nominees, age limit or not.

Johan Manzambi  Freiburg → Aston Villa, Switzerland, 20 Twelve goals and eight assists at Freiburg were enough to secure a summer move to Aston Villa. First nomination for a versatile attacking midfielder who's shown he can influence games from several positions.

Ibrahim Maza  Bayer Leverkusen, Algeria, 20 Seven goals and seven assists in a demanding 61-match season for Leverkusen, without team silverware to lean on. First nomination for a creative midfielder whose consistency of involvement stands out more than any single number.

Warren Zaïre-Emery  Paris Saint-Germain, France, 20 Part of PSG's trophy sweep in a versatile role across midfield and full-back. Second Kopa nomination, having finished eighth in 2024, with team success doing plenty of the heavy lifting this time around.

Women's Nominees

Veerle Buurman  Chelsea, Netherlands, 20 A first season in England yielded an English League Cup and steady game time in Chelsea's defence. First Kopa nomination for a young centre-back whose composure has stood out early in her time in the WSL.

Vicky López  FC Barcelona, Spain, 20 The reigning Kopa Trophy winner, back again after 17 goals, 15 assists and a full sweep with Barcelona and Spain. Genuinely hard to look past for back-to-back honours.

Felicia Schröder  Häcken → Real Madrid, Sweden, 19 Thirty-six goals at Häcken earned a big move to Real Madrid this summer, and she marked her debut with an immediate goal. First nomination for a forward whose finishing numbers are simply eye-catching at this level.

Clara Serrajordi  FC Barcelona, Spain, 18 An 18-year-old midfielder already part of Barcelona's continental and domestic sweep, with seven assists showing genuine creative influence in a squad packed with senior internationals. First nomination, and a name to watch for years to come.

Lily Yohannes  OL Lyonnes, USA, 19 Six goals and ten assists as Lyonnes swept the French domestic treble, continuing a rapid rise that's already made her the youngest goalscorer in USWNT history. First nomination for one of American football's brightest young exports.

Gerd Müller Trophy  Best Striker

France Football had not published an official shortlist for the Gerd Müller Trophy as of publication. The players below are therefore presented as leading statistical contenders rather than confirmed nominees.

That isn't necessarily unusual; historically this award has often gone straight to the season's top scorer combining club and country rather than working from a pre-announced shortlist. If an official list is released before the ceremony, it should replace what follows. In the meantime, here's who the numbers point to, based on confirmed season goal tallies among players already nominated elsewhere on this list.

Men's Leading Contenders

Harry Kane  Bayern Munich, England Seventy-three goals in 65 matches  comfortably the highest tally of any nominee across every award covered here. Combined with his first senior trophies, this is the clearest favourite in any category on this list.

Erling Haaland  Manchester City, Norway Fifty-eight goals in 64 matches, a huge number even in a season without major team silverware behind it. Still one of the most reliable finishers in the world regardless of what's happening around him at City.

Kylian Mbappé  Real Madrid, France Fifty-eight goals in 60 matches for Real Madrid, plus a second straight World Cup Golden Boot with France. The raw scoring numbers put him firmly in the conversation even in a trophyless club season.

Lionel Messi  Inter Miami, Argentina Forty-five goals in 49 matches at 38 years old, an outrageous tally for a player deep into his career and playing in a league generally considered a level below Europe's best.

Julián Quiñones  Al-Qadsiah, Mexico Forty-one goals in 46 matches in the Saudi Pro League, the most eye-catching tally outside Europe's biggest leagues and a genuine outlier worth watching if a shortlist does appear.

Viktor Gyökeres  Arsenal, Sweden The reigning winner managed 21 goals in his first Arsenal season after his move from Sporting CP, a big drop from the tally that won him the trophy last year, and effectively out of contention this time.

Women's Leading Contenders

Khadija Shaw  Manchester City, Jamaica Thirty-six goals in 36 matches, essentially a goal every game and the most efficient return on this entire list, men's or women's.

Felicia Schröder  Häcken → Real Madrid, Sweden Thirty-six goals at Häcken before her move to Real Madrid, a huge tally that came slightly under the radar in Sweden but stacks up with anyone on this list.

Pernille Harder  Bayern Munich, Denmark Thirty-five goals for Bayern, continuing one of the most consistent scoring records in the women's game year after year.

Ewa Pajor  FC Barcelona, Poland The reigning winner backed it up with 34 goals for a treble-winning Barcelona, plus top scorer honours in the Champions League itself.

Claudia Pina  FC Barcelona, Spain Thirty-two goals for a Barcelona side that won almost everything on offer this season.

Caroline Weir  Real Madrid / OL Lyonnes, Scotland Thirty-two goals across her time at Real Madrid and OL Lyonnes, a big individual haul without the team success to match.

Johan Cruyff Trophy  Best Coach

Men's Nominees

Mikel Arteta  Arsenal, Spain Finally delivered Arsenal's first Premier League title in over two decades, built on a defence anchored by Saliba and Gabriel and a squad that looked complete after years of incremental building. Also led them to a Champions League final, lost to PSG. The clearest case of a long-term project reaching full maturity in a single season.

Luis de la Fuente  Spain national team delivered Spain's second World Cup title, and did it with a defence that conceded just once across the entire tournament, a genuinely historic defensive record. Following up Euro 2024 with World Cup glory makes this arguably the strongest international coaching résumé of the year.

Unai Emery  Aston Villa, Spain added a Europa League to a growing collection of continental trophies with a Villa side that continues to punch well above its historical weight under him. Not the biggest budget in the league, but consistently the best return on investment among England's coaches this season.

Vincent Kompany  Bayern Munich, Belgium A Bundesliga, German Cup and German Super Cup treble in his second full season, with Bayern's attack  Kane, Olise, Díaz  firing on every front. Quietly building one of the most complete squads in Europe with a clear attacking identity from day one.

Luis Enrique  Paris Saint-Germain, Spain retained the Champions League and added the Intercontinental Cup, European Super Cup and Ligue 1  as close to a clean sweep as modern football allows, with nine of his players also up for the main Ballon d'Or. The strongest team achievement of any coach in world football this year.

Women's Nominees

Jonatan Giráldez  OL Lyonnes, Spain Won the French domestic treble in his first season in charge, adapting quickly to a new league and squad after his move from Barcelona. A strong start that suggests his trophy-laden reputation travels well across football cultures.

Andrée Jeglertz  Manchester City, Sweden Guided Manchester City to the WSL and FA Cup double, getting the best out of a squad packed with proven internationals like Miedema, Shaw and Casparij. A statement first major season leading one of England's biggest clubs.

Nils Nielsen  Japan national team led Japan to the Asian Cup, with several of his players  Hasegawa, Yamashita, Tanikawa, Matsukubo  also earning individual nominations elsewhere on this list. A continental title that reflects well on squad-wide development under his management.

Pere Romeu  FC Barcelona, Spain Oversaw a genuine sweep of Champions League, Liga, Copa de la Reina, Spanish Super Cup  with a Barcelona squad that dominates this entire list more than any other club, men's or women's. The strongest collective case of any coach in either category this year.

Elena Sadiku  BK Häcken, Sweden delivered the Swedish league title and a run to Europa Cup glory, doing it with a smaller budget than most of her fellow nominees and still producing one of the breakout young talents of the year in Felicia Schröder.

The 2026 Ballon d'Or races may be among the hardest to call in recent memory. With extraordinary individual numbers, World Cup performances and major club success pulling voters in different directions, there is no shortage of genuine contenders. That uncertainty is exactly what makes the 2026 awards so compelling.