2026 Ballon d'Or candidates announced

France Football magazine will hold the 70th ceremony of the Ballon d'Or, an award it has presented since 1956, in London on 26 October 2026. Because of the award's 70th anniversary, the ceremony will be held outside Paris for the first time.

In a post on the magazine's social media account, a list of 30 players was announced as candidates. The list includes players from major clubs such as Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Arsenal, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Inter.

The candidates include names such as Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior, Erling Haaland, Declan Rice, Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal. Lionel Messi, playing for Inter Miami, is also among the candidates.

This year's list includes a large number of Paris Saint-Germain players. Several players from Arsenal and Barcelona were also nominated.

The winner will be announced at the ceremony.