Ballon d’Or 2026: Exciting Nominees and Full Shortlists

The Ballon d’Or 2026 ceremony is set to bring football’s biggest stars together in London on Monday, 26 October. Manchester City has earned multiple nominations across the men’s and women’s categories, with Erling Haaland, Bunny Shaw, Vivianne Miedema and several other City stars among the contenders for individual honours.

With prestigious awards, talented young players and outstanding coaches in the spotlight, here is everything you need to know about the upcoming ceremony, including the nominees, venue, start time and full shortlists.

What Is the Ballon d’Or?

The Ballon d’Or is widely regarded as one of the most prestigious individual awards in football. It recognises outstanding players based on their performances over the calendar year.

First introduced in 1956, the men’s award has celebrated many of the sport’s greatest players. Manchester City’s Rodri became the club’s first player to win the trophy while representing City in 2024, following his influential performances in the Premier League and Spain’s successful Euro 2024 campaign.

The women’s award, known as the Ballon d’Or Féminin, was introduced in 2018 to recognise excellence in women’s football.

When and Where Will the Ballon d’Or 2026 Take Place?

For the first time, the Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held in London, England.

• Date: Monday, 26 October 2026
• Venue: London Palladium Theatre
• Start time: 20:00 UK time
• Hosts: Thierry Henry and Kate Scott
• Live broadcast: DAZN

Football fans can watch the ceremony live on DAZN and follow Manchester City’s official social media channels for updates on the club’s nominees.

Manchester City Players Nominated for the Ballon d’Or 2026

Manchester City has secured nominations across several major categories, highlighting the club’s presence in both men’s and women’s football.

Here are the club’s nominees:

• Men’s Ballon d’Or: Erling Haaland
• Women’s Ballon d’Or: Kerstin Casparij, Alex Greenwood, Bunny Shaw, Vivianne Miedema and Yui Hasegawa
• Men’s Young Talent of the Year: Ayyoub Bouaddi
• Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year: Ayaka Yamashita
• Women’s Head Coach of the Year: Andrée Jeglertz
• Women’s Club of the Year: Manchester City Women

These nominations put several City players and staff members in contention for some of football’s most sought-after individual and team honours.

Other Awards to Be Presented

In addition to the main Ballon d’Or trophies, several other awards will be presented during the ceremony.

These include the Women’s Young Talent of the Year, Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year, Men’s Coach of the Year and Men’s Club of the Year awards.

The ceremony will also feature the following honours:

• Socrates Award: Recognises footballers for their humanitarian contributions.
• Men’s Gerd Müller Trophy: Celebrates the leading male goalscorer across club and international football.
• Women’s Gerd Müller Trophy: Recognises the leading female goalscorer across club and international football.

Together, these awards celebrate excellence in performance, emerging talent, coaching, teamwork and contributions beyond the pitch.

How to Watch and Follow the Ballon d’Or 2026

Fans who want to follow the Ballon d’Or 2026 ceremony can watch it live on DAZN.

Manchester City supporters can also receive updates on their nominees through the club’s official social media accounts:

• Manchester City: @ManCity
• Manchester City Women: @ManCityWomen

These channels will provide updates throughout the event as the winners are announced.

Full Ballon d’Or 2026 Shortlists

Below is the complete list of nominees provided for the major categories.

Women’s Ballon d’Or Shortlist

1. Selma Bacha (France, OL Lyonnes)
2. Barbra Banda (Zambia, Orlando Pride)
3. Esmee Brugts (Netherlands, Barcelona)
4. Klara Bühl (Germany, Bayern München)
5. Mariona Caldentey (Spain, Arsenal)
6. Scarlett Camberos (Mexico, Club América)
7. Kerstin Casparij (Netherlands, Manchester City)
8. Temwa Chawinga (Malawi, Kansas City Current)
9. Cata Coll (Spain, Barcelona)
10. Melchie Dumornay (Haiti, OL Lyonnes)
11. Caroline Graham Hansen (Norway, Barcelona)
12. Alex Greenwood (England, Manchester City)
13. Patri Guijarro (Spain, Barcelona)
14. Pernille Harder (Denmark, Bayern München)
15. Yui Hasegawa (Japan, Manchester City)
16. Rose Lavelle (United States, Gotham FC)
17. Mapi León (Spain, Barcelona/London City Lionesses)
18. Lorena (Brazil, Kansas City Current)
19. Melvine Malard (France, Manchester United/Chelsea)
20. Manaka Matsukubo (Japan, North Carolina Courage/Chelsea)
21. Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands, Manchester City)
22. Ewa Pajor (Poland, Barcelona)
23. Clàudia Pina (Spain, Barcelona)
24. Alexia Putellas (Spain, Barcelona/London City Lionesses)
25. Wendie Renard (France, OL Lyonnes)
26. Alessia Russo (England, Arsenal)
27. Bunny Shaw (Jamaica, Manchester City)
28. Momoko Tanikawa (Japan, Bayern München)
29. Caroline Weir (Scotland, Real Madrid/OL Lyonnes)
30. Tessa Wullaert (Belgium, Inter/Como)

Men’s Ballon d’Or Shortlist

1. Jude Bellingham (England, Real Madrid)
2. Pau Cubarsí (Spain, Barcelona)
3. Marc Cucurella (Spain, Chelsea/Real Madrid)
4. Ousmane Dembélé (France, Paris Saint-Germain)
5. Luis Díaz (Colombia, Bayern München)
6. Bruno Fernandes (Portugal, Manchester United)
7. Gabriel (Brazil, Arsenal)
8. Erling Haaland (Norway, Manchester City)
9. Achraf Hakimi (Morocco, Paris Saint-Germain)
10. Harry Kane (England, Bayern München)
11. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Georgia, Paris Saint-Germain)
12. Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona)
13. Sadio Mané (Senegal, Al-Nassr)
14. Marquinhos (Brazil, Paris Saint-Germain)
15. Lautaro Martínez (Argentina, Inter)
16. Kylian Mbappé (France, Real Madrid)
17. Nuno Mendes (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain)
18. Lionel Messi (Argentina, Inter Miami)
19. João Neves (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain)
20. Michael Olise (France, Bayern München)
21. Willian Pacho (Ecuador, Paris Saint-Germain)
22. Julián Quiñones (Mexico, Al-Qadsiah)
23. Declan Rice (England, Arsenal)
24. Rodri (Spain, Manchester City/Barcelona)
25. Fabián Ruiz (Spain, Paris Saint-Germain)
26. William Saliba (France, Arsenal)
27. Ferran Torres (Spain, Barcelona/Paris Saint-Germain)
28. Dayot Upamecano (France, Bayern München)
29. Vinícius Júnior (Brazil, Real Madrid)
30. Vitinha (Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain)

Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year Shortlist

1. Ann-Katrin Berger (Germany, Gotham FC)
2. Cata Coll (Spain, Barcelona)
3. Hannah Hampton (England, Chelsea)
4. Lorena (Brazil, Kansas City Current)
5. Ayaka Yamashita (Japan, Manchester City)

Men’s Young Talent of the Year Shortlist

1. Kerim Alajbegović (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Salzburg/Juventus)
2. Ayyoub Bouaddi (Morocco, Lille/Manchester City)
3. Pau Cubarsí (Spain, Barcelona)
4. Yan Diomandé (Côte d’Ivoire, Leipzig/Real Madrid)
5. Lennart Karl (Germany, Bayern München)
6. Éli Junior Kroupi (France, Bournemouth)
7. Lamine Yamal (Spain, Barcelona)
8. Johan Manzambi (Switzerland, Freiburg/Aston Villa)
9. Ibrahim Maza (Algeria, Leverkusen)
10. Warren Zaïre-Emery (France, Paris)

Women’s Coach of the Year Shortlist

1. Jonatan Giráldez (Spain, OL Lyonnes)
2. Andrée Jeglertz (Sweden, Manchester City)
3. Nils Nielsen (Denmark, Japan national team)
4. Pere Romeu (Spain, Barcelona)
5. Elena Sadiku (Sweden, Celtic/Häcken)

Women’s Club of the Year Shortlist

1. Barcelona (Spain)
2. Bayern München (Germany)
3. Club América (Mexico)
4. Manchester City (England)
5. OL Lyonnes (France)

Final Thoughts

The Ballon d’Or 2026 promises to be an exciting night for football, with the world’s leading players, coaches and clubs competing for recognition in London.

Manchester City will have plenty to celebrate, with Erling Haaland leading the club’s representation in the men’s category and several key figures from the women’s team nominated for individual and team awards.

With the ceremony approaching, fans will be watching closely to discover which nominees emerge victorious and add their names to football’s prestigious list of winners.