France Football revealed on Tuesday, September 8, 2026 the list of 30 nominees for the Ballon d'Or 2026, and Paris Saint-Germain commands an outsized presence: ten players from the club based at the Parc des Princes in the 16th arrondissement of Paris are among the contenders. The trophy will be awarded on Monday, October 26, 2026 in London, after a vote by an international panel of journalists.
As Champions League winners for the second straight year, PSG again tops the list, claiming a third of the spots. Only Désiré Doué is missing, while Ferran Torres, the World Cup winner who arrived in the capital this summer, continues to bolster the Paris squad.
Here is the full list of players selected by France Football for the 70th edition, honoring the entire 2025-2026 season, World Cup included.
The verdict rests on a nearly flawless season. The second consecutive European crown, domination in Ligue 1, a as cohesive a squad as possible: the panel crowned the group rather than any single star. From Achraf Hakimi to Vitinha, via Willian Pacho, Nuno Mendes, Fabián Ruiz, João Neves, Marquinhos and Ferran Torres, it’s almost a starting XI that’s been named.
The absence of Désiré Doué is sure to spark talk at the Parc des Princes. Luis Enrique, for his part, is among the five nominees for the Coach of the Year award, alongside Mikel Arteta, Luis de la Fuente, Unai Emery and Vincent Kompany.
The World Cup obviously tipped the scales. World champion and captain of a defense that conceded just one goal throughout the tournament, Pau Cubarsi earned his spot, just as Marc Cucurella did. La Roja is, in fact, the best-represented national team after PSG, with Lamine Yamal and Rodri—Ballon d'Or 2024—also included.
Kylian Mbappé defends his bid this Monday, saying he’s made history this summer. Erling Haaland, a standout for Norway, Harry Kane, impressive with Bayern, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, whose name is increasingly being mentioned, complete the shortlist of serious contenders. And then there’s Lionel Messi, still brilliant in the United States, who could be aiming for a ninth title. Suffice to say, the vote is expected to be close.
On the French side, there are five: Ousmane Dembélé, Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano. A handsome haul for the Blues, a year after the Parisian’s triumph.
That's the big news of this edition, and it leaves Parisians with a sour taste. Based at the Théâtre du Châtelet in the 1st arrondissement since 2019, the ceremony will relocate to London on Monday, October 26, 2026. A first in the history of the trophy created by France Football in 1956.
This tribute honors Stanley Matthews, the very first Ballon d'Or winner seventy years ago, ahead of Alfredo Di Stéfano and Raymond Kopa. The jury, composed of journalists from the hundred top nations in the FIFA rankings, will vote by three criteria: individual performance, team performance and trophies, and finally fair play. All official information can be found on the Ballon d'Or website.
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