For a club that already held the record with nine nominees a year ago, PSG’s haul is unprecedented. Reigning champion Ousmane Dembélé leads the group, joined by nine team-mates:
- Ousmane Dembélé
- Achraf Hakimi
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
- Marquinhos
- Nuno Mendes
- João Neves
- Willian Pacho
- Fabián Ruiz
- Ferran Torres
- Vitinha
Never before has one club taken a third of the men’s shortlist.
Harry Kane is the bookmakers’ pick after a 73-goal season for Bayern Munich and England that included a Bundesliga title and third place at the World Cup in North America. The England captain has never won the award.
Yamal arrives with the World Cup on his CV
Lamine Yamal is the other strong contender. The 19-year-old is the first player nominated three times before turning 20, after finishing eighth in 2024 and second in 2025. He drove Barcelona to LaLiga with 16 goals and 11 assists in 28 league matches, then helped Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in the World Cup final in July.
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Kylian Mbappé completes the trio of headline names. The Real Madrid forward returns to the shortlist looking to convert his first full individual season at the Bernabéu into a first Ballon d’Or.
Messi back on the list for the first time since 2023
Lionel Messi has been nominated for the first time since 2023, when he won a record eighth trophy. Now with Inter Miami, the Argentina captain is one of several personal storylines that keep the men’s race unusually open.
PSG’s ten names may cancel each other out
The PSG haul carries its own risk. Voters typically spread ballots between team-mates rather than concentrating on a single figure. Vitinha finished third in 2025 and Dembélé won it, but neither has been installed at the head of the odds this time. The club also lands Warren Zaïre-Emery on the Kopa Trophy list for the best young player, Luis Enrique in the running for best coach, and PSG itself nominated for Club of the Year.
Three former winners are absent from the men’s list: Karim Benzema, Luka Modrić and Cristiano Ronaldo. Aitana Bonmatí, the reigning women’s winner, was ruled out by injury and will not defend her title.
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The ceremony moves outside Paris for the first time since the award began in 1956, marking its 70th anniversary. Winners will be announced at the London Palladium on Monday 26 October.
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