Last year’s winner Ousmane Dembele, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe headline the contenders for this year’s men’s Ballon d’Or.
France Football magazine announced the 30 nominees for both the men’s and women’s awards Tuesday, with the winners set to be revealed at a ceremony in London on Oct. 26.
In the women’s race, two-time winner Alexia Putellas, Ewa Pajor and Melchie Dumornay are among the leading contenders. Aitana Bonmatí, who won the award the past three years, was left off the list after missing most of the season with an injury.
Bonmatí returned late in the campaign and helped Barcelona complete a trophy-filled season that included another Champions League title.
Dembele and Mbappe both represented France at the World Cup, where they reached the semifinals before losing to eventual champions Spain. While winning a major international trophy often plays a significant role in the Ballon d’Or race, Mbappe strengthened his case by making World Cup history.
He surpassed Lionel Messi to become the tournament’s all-time leading scorer with 22 goals, reaching the mark in fewer games than the Argentine star.
After claiming a second straight Champions League title with Paris Saint-Germain, Dembele has a chance to retain the Ballon d’Or.
Kane had one of his best seasons, scoring 73 goals for club and country and winning the Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich. Kane also led England to a third-place finish at the World Cup.
Spain captain Rodri, who claimed the award in 2024 and played an instrumental role in midfield to help Spain secure its second World Cup title, was also included.
The 39-year-old Messi, who has a record eight Ballon d’Or awards, was on the shortlist after guiding Argentina to a runner-up finish at the World Cup and winning Major League Soccer with Inter Miami.
The other three Ballon d’Or winners still active, Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modric, were not on the list.
Dembele was one of nine PSG players, 10 including newly acquired Ferran Torres, nominated for the men’s award, alongside Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, Willian Pacho, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha. Torres scored Spain’s winner in the World Cup final.
In an interview with France Football, Dembele said he expects the award to remain at PSG. Asked to name his top three in no particular order, he cited PSG teammate Kvaratskhelia, Kane and Mbappe. He also mentioned Michael Olise, Lamine Yamal, Ruiz and Pacho but did not include himself.
“I don’t think the trophy is undecided. I think it will remain in the hands of a Paris Saint-Germain player,” he said.
The other men’s nominees include Real Madrid stars Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham, as well as Manchester City striker Erling Haaland.
Italy, which did not qualify for the World Cup, and the Netherlands and Germany had no representatives. Only one player from Serie A, Lautaro Martinez of Inter Milan, was selected.
There was no goalkeeper nominated, ensuring Lev Yashin remains the only goalkeeper to win the coveted trophy in 1963 for another year.
The Ballon d’Or ceremony is moving from its traditional Paris home to London this year to mark the 70th anniversary of the first award, which was won by England great Stanley Matthews.
The Ballon d’Or was created by France Football and has been awarded to men since 1956 and to women since 2018. It is voted on by journalists from the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings for the men’s award and the top 50 FIFA-ranked countries for the women’s award.
Each journalist, one per country, selects players in ranked order, with points attributed to each position. The winner is the player who receives the most points.
Organizers say the trophy is awarded based on three criteria, in order of importance: 1. Individual performances, including decisive and impressive character; 2. Collective performances and titles won; 3. Class and fair play. The performance period is Aug. 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026, the day of this year’s World Cup final.
