It happens all the time: officially, the announcement of the Ballon d'Or 2026 candidates

France Football magazine, in cooperation with UEFA, began unveiling the official list of nominees for the 2026 Ballon d'Or on Tuesday. Widely regarded as the most prestigious prize in football, it arrives after an exceptional season of fierce competition between the game's biggest stars, both collectively and individually.

Months of monitoring and assessment lie behind the final list, with performances judged across clubs and national teams. The award rests on what players delivered last season, from titles won to individual numbers and technical impact on the pitch.

Domestic titles in Europe's major leagues, the Champions League and the 2026 World Cup gave last season no shortage of drama. All of it combined to make this year's Ballon d'Or race one of the most exciting in recent memory, with a host of stars hitting remarkable heights.

One by one, the award's accounts started releasing the names. We'll keep you updated as soon as each is published.

First up came the Best Club award in the women's category, headed by La Liga and Champions League winners Barcelona. They are up against Champions League runners-up Bayern Munich, England's Manchester City and France's Lyon.

Attention then turned to the Best Men's Team award. Arsenal lead the way as Premier League champions and Champions League runners-up, challenged by Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich, Norway's Bodo Glimt, Brazil's Flamengo and France's Paris Saint-Germain.

In the World's Best Coach for women's teams category, five names are in contention: Jonatan Giraldez (Lyon), Andree Jeglertz (Manchester City), Nils Nielsen (Japan national team), Pere Romeu (Barcelona) and Elena Sadiku (Celtic/BK Hacken).

Spain dominated the World's Best Coach for men's teams shortlist. Mikel Arteta (Arsenal), Luis de la Fuente (Spain national team), Unai Emery (Aston Villa) and Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain) make up the quartet, joined by Belgium's Vincent Kompany (Bayern Munich).

Big names missed out. Germany's Hansi Flick, Spain's Pep Guardiola and Argentina's Diego Simeone and Lionel Scaloni were all left off the list.

Handed each year to the world's best player, the Ballon d'Or is decided by a vote among sports journalists from countries across the globe. The winner is chosen on several criteria, most notably individual and collective performance, sportsmanship, and consistency throughout the season.

London hosts the ceremony on 26 October 2026, a first for the award in the English capital. The night will crown the Ballon d'Or winner and reveal the rest of the individual honours, including the "Yashin" award for the best goalkeeper, the "Kopa" award for the best young player, the Best Coach award, the Best Club award and several others.

Every year the Ballon d'Or commands huge global attention as the standout measure of the world's finest player. Fans and media follow it closely, and the competition only intensifies as the game's biggest stars chase the most valuable individual prize of all.

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