The nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, best U21 player, keeper, coach and club awards have officially been announced.
There is a two-stage process when it comes to picking the Ballon d’Or winner, with journalists from France Football and L’Equipe creating a 30-player shortlist, and then one journalist from each of the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations votes, assigning points (15 to 1) to their top 10.
The footballer with the most points wins; ties are broken by 1st place votes, then 2nd place, and so on.
Lionel Messi holds the record with eight wins, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo with five. The women’s Ballon d’Or, started in 2018, uses a similar process but with 50 journalists voting.
That award has been won twice by Aitana Bonmati and Alexia Putellas, and once by Ada Hegerberg and Megan Rapinoe.
There are 7 players who within the last year have played in the Premier League up for the Ballon d’Or this year with Arsenal having the most (3).
Those includes Marc Cucurella, Bruno Fernandes, Gabriel Magalhães, Erling Haaland, Declan Rice, Rodri and William Saliba.
Men’s Ballon d’Or nominees
Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England)
Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona, Spain)
Marc Cucurella (Chelsea, Real Madrid, Spain)
Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
Luis Díaz (Bayern Munich, Colombia)
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United, Portugal)
Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal, Brazil)
Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway)
Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain)
Harry Kane (Bayern Munich, England)
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Paris Saint-Germain, Georgia)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain)
Sadio Mané (Al Nassr, Senegal)
Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain, Brazil)
Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan, Argentina)
Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid, France)
Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal)
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, Argentina)
João Neves (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal)
Michael Olise (Bayern Munich, France)
Willian Pacho (Paris Saint-Germain, Ecuador)
Julián Quiñones (Al Qadsiah, Mexico)
Declan Rice (Arsenal, England)
Rodri (Manchester City, Barcelona, Spain)
Fabián Ruiz (Paris Saint-Germain, Spain)
William Saliba (Arsenal, France)
Ferran Torres (Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Spain)
Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich, France)
Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid, Brazil)
Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal)
Women’s Ballon d’Or nominees
Selma Bacha (OL Lyonnes, France)
Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride, Zambia)
Klara Bühl (Bayern Munich, Germany)
Esmee Brugts (Barcelona, Netherlands)
Mariona Caldantey (Arsenal, Spain)
Scarlett Camberos (Club America, Mexico)
Kerstin Casparji (Manchester City, Netherlands)
Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current, Malawi)
Cata Coll (Barcelona, Spain)
Melchie Dumornay (OL Lyonnes, France)
Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona, Norway)
Alex Greenwood (Manchester City, England)
Patri Guijarro (Barcelona, Spain)
Pernille Harder (Bayern Munich, Germany)
Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City, Japan)
Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC, USWNT)
Mapi Leion (Barcelona, London City Lionesses, Spain)
Lorena (Kansas City Current, Brazil)
Melvine Malard (Man Utd, Chelsea, France)
Manaka Matsukubo (North Carolina Courage, Chelsea, Japan)
Vivianne Miedema (Manchester City, Netherlands)
Ewa Pajor (Barcelona, Poland)
Claudia Pina (Barcelona, Spain)
Alexia Putellas (Barcelona, London City Lionesses, Spain)
Wendie Renard (OL Lyonnes, France)
Khadija Shaw (Manchester City, Jamaica)
Women’s Kopa Trophy (best under-21 player) nominees
Voted by past Ballon d’Or winners
Veerle Buurman (Chelsea, Netherlands)
Vicky López (Barcelona, Spain)
Felicia Schröder (BK Häcken, Real Madrid, Sweden)
Clara Serrajordi (Barcelona, Spain)
Lily Yohannes (OL Lyonnes, USWNT)
Men’s Kopa Trophy (best under-21 player) nominees
Voted by past Ballon d’Or winners
Ayyoub Bouaddi (Lille, Manchester City, Morocco)
Kerim Alajbegović (Salzburg, Juventus)
Yan Diomande (RB Leipzig, Real Madrid, Côte d’Ivoire)
Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona, Spain)
Lennart Karl (Bayern Munich, Germany)
Éli Junior Kroupi (Bournemouth, France)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain)
Ibrahim Maza (Bayer Leverkusen, Algeria)
Johan Manzambi (SC Freiburg, Aston Villa, Switzerland)
Warren Zaïre-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
Women’s Yachine Trophy (best goalkeeper) nominees
Voted by journalists
Ann-Katrin Berger (Gotham FC, Germany)
Cata Coll (Barcelona, Spain)
Hannah Hampton (Chelsea, England)
Lorena (Kansas City Current, Brazil)
Ayaka Yamashita (Manchester City, Japan)
Men’s Yachine Trophy (best goalkeeper) nominees
Voted by journalists
Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal, Morocco)
Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid, Belgium)
Joan García (Barcelona, Spain)
Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund, Switzerland)
Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa, Chelsea, Argentina)
Edouard Mendy (Al Ahli, Senegal)
David Raya (Arsenal, Spain)
Matvey Safonov (Paris Saint-Germain, Russia)
Unai Simón (Athletic Club, Spain)
Vozinha (Chaves, Colo-Colo, Cabo Verde)
Women’s Team Coach of the Year Trophy nominees
Jonatan Giráldez – OL Lyonnes
Andrée Jeglertz – Manchester City
Nils Nielsen – Japan national team
Pere Romeu – FC Barcelona
Elena Sadiku – Celtic/BK Häcken
Men’s Team Coach of the Year Trophy nominees
Mikel Arteta – Arsenal
Luis de la Fuente – Spain national team
Unai Emery – Aston Villa
Vincent Kompany – Bayern Munich
Luis Enrique – Paris-SG
Women’s Club of the Year nominees
FC Barcelona (Spain)
Bayern Munich (Germany)
Club América (Mexico)
Manchester City (England)
OL Lyonnes (France)
Men’s Club of the Year nominees
Arsenal (England)
Bayern Munich (Germany)
Bodø/Glimt (Norway)
Flamengo (Brazil)
Paris-SG (France)
PREVIOUS BALLON D’OR WINNERS:
1956
1st – Stanley Matthews – Blackpool – pts 47
2nd – Alfredo Di Stéfano – Real Madrid – pts 44
3rd – Raymond Kopa – Real Madrid – pts 33
1957
1st – Alfredo Di Stéfano (1) – Real Madrid – pts 72
2nd – Billy Wright – Wolverhampton Wanderers – pts 19
3rd – Duncan Edwards – Manchester United – pts 16
3rd – Raymond Kopa – Real Madrid – pts 16
1958
1st – Raymond Kopa – Real Madrid – pts 71
2nd – Helmut Rahn – Rot-Weiss Essen – pts 40
3rd – Just Fontaine – Reims – pts 23
1959
1st – Alfredo Di Stéfano (2) – Real Madrid – pts 80
2nd – Raymond Kopa – Reims – pts 42
3rd – John Charles – Juventus – pts 24
1960
1st – Luis Suárez – Barcelona – pts 54
2nd – Ferenc Puskás – Real Madrid – pts 37
3rd – Uwe Seeler – Hamburger SV – pts 33
1961
1st – Omar Sívori – Juventus – pts 46
2nd – Luis Suárez – Inter Milan – pts 40
3rd – Johnny Haynes – Fulham – pts 22
1962
1st – Josef Masopust – Dukla Prague – pts 65
2nd – Eusébio – Benfica – pts 53
3rd – Karl-Heinz Schnellinger – 1. FC Köln – pts 33
1963
1st – Lev Yashin – Dynamo Moscow – pts 73
2nd – Gianni Rivera – Milan – pts 55
3rd – Jimmy Greaves – Tottenham Hotspur – pts 50
1964
1st – Denis Law – Manchester United – pts 61
2nd – Luis Suárez – Inter Milan – pts 43
3rd – Amancio – Real Madrid – pts 38
1965
1st – Eusébio – Benfica – pts 67
2nd – Giacinto Facchetti – Inter Milan – pts 59
3rd – Luis Suárez – Inter Milan – pts 45
1966
1st – Bobby Charlton – Manchester United – pts 81
2nd – Eusébio – Benfica – pts 80
3rd – Franz Beckenbauer – Bayern Munich – pts 59
1967
1st – Flórián Albert – Ferencváros – pts 68
2nd – Bobby Charlton – Manchester United – pts 40
3rd – Jimmy Johnstone – Celtic – pts 39
1968
1st – George Best – Manchester United – pts 61
2nd – Bobby Charlton – Manchester United – pts 53
3rd – Dragan Džajić – Red Star Belgrade – pts 46
1969
1st – Gianni Rivera – Milan – pts 83
2nd – Gigi Riva – Cagliari – pts 79
3rd – Gerd Müller – Bayern Munich – pts 38
1970
1st – Gerd Müller – Bayern Munich – pts 77
2nd – Bobby Moore – West Ham United – pts 70
3rd – Gigi Riva – Cagliari – pts 65
1971
1st – Johan Cruyff (1) – Ajax – pts 116
2nd – Sandro Mazzola – Inter Milan – pts 57
3rd – George Best – Manchester United – pts 56
1972
1st – Franz Beckenbauer (1) – Bayern Munich – pts 81
2nd – Gerd Müller – Bayern Munich – pts 79
2nd – Günter Netzer – Borussia Mönchengladbach – pts 79
1973
1st – Johan Cruyff (2) – Barcelona – pts 96
2nd – Dino Zoff – Juventus – pts 47
3rd – Gerd Müller – Bayern Munich – pts 44
1974
1st – Johan Cruyff (3) – Barcelona – pts 116
2nd – Franz Beckenbauer – Bayern Munich – pts 105
3rd – Kazimierz Deyna – Legia Warsaw – pts 35
1975
1st – Oleg Blokhin – Dynamo Kyiv – pts 122
2nd – Franz Beckenbauer – Bayern Munich – pts 42
3rd – Johan Cruyff – Barcelona – pts 27
1976
1st – Franz Beckenbauer (2) – Bayern Munich – pts 91
2nd – Rob Rensenbrink – Anderlecht – pts 75
3rd – Ivo Viktor – Dukla Prague – pts 52
1977
1st – Allan Simonsen – Borussia Mönchengladbach – pts 74
2nd – Kevin Keegan – Hamburger SV – pts 71
3rd – Michel Platini – Nancy – pts 70
1978
1st – Kevin Keegan (1) – Hamburger SV – pts 87
2nd – Hans Krankl – Barcelona – pts 81
3rd – Rob Rensenbrink – Anderlecht – pts 50
1979
1st – Kevin Keegan (2) – Hamburger SV – pts 118
2nd – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge – Bayern Munich – pts 52
3rd – Ruud Krol – Ajax – pts 41
1980
1st – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (1) – Bayern Munich – pts 122
2nd – Bernd Schuster – Barcelona – pts 34
3rd – Michel Platini – Saint-Étienne – pts 33
1981
1st – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (2) – Bayern Munich – pts 106
2nd – Paul Breitner – Bayern Munich – pts 64
3rd – Bernd Schuster – Barcelona – pts 39
1982
1st – Paolo Rossi – Juventus – pts 115
2nd – Alain Giresse – Bordeaux – pts 64
3rd – Zbigniew Boniek – Juventus – pts 39
1983
1st – Michel Platini (1) – Juventus – pts 110
2nd – Kenny Dalglish – Liverpool – pts 26
3rd – Allan Simonsen – Vejle – pts 25
1984
1st – Michel Platini (2) – Juventus – pts 110
2nd – Jean Tigana – Bordeaux – pts 57
3rd – Preben Elkjær – Hellas Verona – pts 48
1985
1st – Michel Platini (3) – Juventus – pts 127
2nd – Preben Elkjær – Hellas Verona – pts 71
3rd – Bernd Schuster – Barcelona – pts 46
1986
1st – Igor Belanov – Dynamo Kyiv – pts 84
2nd – Gary Lineker – Barcelona – pts 62
3rd – Emilio Butragueño – Real Madrid – pts 59
1987
1st – Ruud Gullit- Milan – pts 106
2nd – Paulo Futre – Atlético Madrid – pts 91
3rd – Emilio Butragueño – Real Madrid – pts 61
1988
1st – Marco van Basten (1) – Milan – pts 129
2nd – Ruud Gullit – Milan – pts 88
3rd – Frank Rijkaard – Milan – pts 45
1989
1st – Marco van Basten (2) – Milan – pts 129
2nd – Franco Baresi – Milan – pts 80
3rd – Frank Rijkaard – Milan – pts 43
1990
1st – Lothar Matthäus – Inter Milan – pts 137
2nd – Salvatore Schillaci – Juventus – pts 84
3rd – Andreas Brehme – Inter Milan – pts 68
1991
1st – Jean-Pierre Papin – Marseille – pts 141
2nd – Dejan Savićević – Red Star Belgrade – pts 42
2nd – Darko Pančev – Red Star Belgrade – pts 42
2nd – Lothar Matthäus – Inter Milan – pts 42
1992
1st – Marco van Basten (3) – Milan – pts 98
2nd – Hristo Stoichkov – Barcelona – pts 80
3rd – Dennis Bergkamp – Ajax – pts 53
1993
1st – Roberto Baggio – Juventus – pts 142
2nd – Dennis Bergkamp – Inter Milan – pts 83
3rd – Eric Cantona – Manchester United – pts 34
1994
1st – Hristo Stoichkov – Barcelona – pts 210
2nd – Roberto Baggio – Juventus – pts 136
3rd – Paolo Maldini – Milan – pts 109
1995
1st – George Weah – Milan – pts 144
2nd – Jürgen Klinsmann – Bayern Munich – pts 108
3rd – Jari Litmanen – Ajax – pts 67
1996
1st – Matthias Sammer – Borussia Dortmund – pts 144
2nd – Ronaldo – Barcelona – pts 143
3rd – Alan Shearer – Newcastle United – pts 107
1997
1st – Ronaldo (1) – Inter Milan – pts 222
2nd – Predrag Mijatović – Real Madrid – pts 68
3rd – Zinedine Zidane – Juventus – pts 63
1998
1st – Zinedine Zidane – Juventus – pts 244
2nd – Davor Šuker – Real Madrid – pts 68
3rd – Ronaldo – Inter Milan – pts 66
1999
1st – Rivaldo – Barcelona – pts 219
2nd – David Beckham – Manchester United – pts 154
3rd – Andriy Shevchenko – Milan – pts 64
2000
1st – Luís Figo – Real Madrid – pts 197
2nd – Zinedine Zidane – Juventus – pts 181
3rd – Andriy Shevchenko – Milan – pts 85
2001
1st – Michael Owen – Liverpool – pts 176
2nd – Raúl – Real Madrid – pts 140
3rd – Oliver Kahn – Bayern Munich – pts 114
2002
1st – Ronaldo (2) – Real Madrid – pts 169
2nd – Roberto Carlos – Real Madrid – pts 145
3rd – Oliver Kahn – Bayern Munich – pts 110
2003
1st – Pavel Nedvěd – Juventus – pts 190
2nd – Thierry Henry – Arsenal – pts 128
3rd – Paolo Maldini – Milan – pts 123
2004
1st – Andriy Shevchenko – Milan – pts 175
2nd – Deco – Barcelona – pts 139
3rd – Ronaldinho – Barcelona – pts 133
2005
1st – Ronaldinho – Barcelona – pts 225
2nd – Frank Lampard – Chelsea – pts 148
3rd – Steven Gerrard – Liverpool – pts 142
2006
1st – Fabio Cannavaro – Real Madrid – pts 173
2nd – Gianluigi Buffon – Juventus – pts 124
3rd – Thierry Henry – Arsenal – pts 121
2007
1st – Kaká – Milan – pts 444
2nd – Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United – pts 277
3rd – Lionel Messi – Barcelona – pts 255
2008
1st – Cristiano Ronaldo (1) – Manchester United – pts 446
2nd – Lionel Messi – Barcelona – pts 281
3rd – Fernando Torres – Liverpool – pts 179
2009
1st – Lionel Messi (1) – Barcelona – pts 473
2nd – Cristiano Ronaldo – Real Madrid – pts 233
3rd – Xavi – Barcelona – pts 170
2010
1st – Lionel Messi (2) – Barcelona – 22.65%
2nd – Andrés Iniesta – Barcelona – 17.36%
3rd – Xavi – Barcelona – 16.48%
2011
1st – Lionel Messi (3) – Barcelona – 47.88%
2nd – Cristiano Ronaldo – Real Madrid – 21.60%
3rd – Xavi – Barcelona – 9.23%
2012
1st – Lionel Messi (4) – Barcelona – 41.60%
2nd – Cristiano Ronaldo – Real Madrid – 23.68%
3rd – Andrés Iniesta – Barcelona – 10.91%
2013
1st – Cristiano Ronaldo (2) – Real Madrid – 27.99%
2nd – Lionel Messi – Barcelona – 24.72%
3rd – Franck Ribéry – Bayern Munich – 23.36%
2014
1st – Cristiano Ronaldo (3) – Real Madrid – 37.66%
2nd – Lionel Messi – Barcelona – 15.76%
3rd – Manuel Neuer – Bayern Munich – 15.72%
2015
1st – Lionel Messi (5) – Barcelona – 41.33%
2nd – Cristiano Ronaldo – Real Madrid – 27.76%
3rd – Neymar – Barcelona – 7.86%
2016
1st – Cristiano Ronaldo (4) – Real Madrid – pts 745
2nd – Lionel Messi – Barcelona – pts 316
3rd – Antoine Griezmann – Atlético Madrid – pts 198
2017
1st – Cristiano Ronaldo (5) – Real Madrid – pts 946
2nd – Lionel Messi – Barcelona – pts 670
3rd – Neymar – Paris Saint-Germain – pts 361
2018
1st – Luka Modrić – Real Madrid – pts 753
2nd – Cristiano Ronaldo – Juventus – pts 476
3rd – Antoine Griezmann – Atlético Madrid – pts 414
2019
1st – Lionel Messi (6) – Barcelona – pts 686
2nd – Virgil van Dijk – Liverpool – pts 679
3rd – Cristiano Ronaldo – Juventus – pts 476
2020 Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic
2021
1st – Lionel Messi (7) – Paris Saint-Germain – pts 613
2nd – Robert Lewandowski – Bayern Munich – pts 580
3rd – Jorginho – Chelsea – pts 460
2022
1st – Karim Benzema – Real Madrid – pts 549
2nd – Sadio Mané – Bayern Munich – pts 193
3rd – Kevin De Bruyne – Manchester City – pts 175
2023
1st – Lionel Messi (8) States – Inter Miami – pts 462
2nd – Erling Haaland – Manchester City – pts 357
3rd – Kylian Mbappé – Paris Saint-Germain – pts 270
2024
1st – Rodri – Manchester City – pts 1170
2nd – Vinícius Júnior – Real Madrid – pts 1129
3rd – Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid – pts 917
2025
1st – Ousmane Dembélé – Paris Saint-Germain – pts 1,380
2nd – Lamine Yamal – Barcelona – pts 1,059
3rd – Vitinha – Paris Saint-Germain – pts 703
