The nominees for the Ballon d'Or, awarded to the world's best football player of the year, have been finalized.

France Football, the French football magazine that organizes the Ballon d'Or, announced the 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d'Or on September 8 (local time).

In the men's category, formidable contenders have been nominated, including last year's winner Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain); Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), who netted 73 goals in 65 matches for Bayern Munich (Germany) and the England national team during the 2025-2026 season; Rodri (Barcelona), who led Spain to victory at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup and claimed the Golden Ball as the tournament's best player; and Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid), the top scorer of the North and Central America World Cup with 10 goals.

Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), a record nine-time winner of the Ballon d'Or, is also included in the list, challenging for his first award in three years since 2023 and his ninth overall.

However, Messi's eternal rival, five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo (Al Nassr), failed to make the cut.

Spain, which won the World Cup for the first time in 16 years, had the most players nominated with six, including Rodri, Lamine Yamal (Barcelona), and Ferran Torres (Paris Saint-Germain).

Among clubs, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) of France, which achieved back-to-back UEFA Champions League titles, produced the most nominees with nine players, even excluding Torres, whom they newly signed from Barcelona this summer.

No Asian players were nominated for the third consecutive year.

South Korean players have also been omitted from the nominee list for the third straight year, following defender Kim Min-jae (Bayern Munich) in 2023.

Among active players, Son Heung-min (LAFC) was previously nominated twice, in 2019 and 2022, while playing for Tottenham (England) prior to Kim Min-jae.

The Ballon d'Or is awarded to the player with the best performance of the year among football players worldwide, with the men's category having selected winners since 1956 and the women's category since 2018.

The award ceremony has traditionally been held in Paris, France, but this year it will be held for the first time in London, United Kingdom, on October 26.

This is to commemorate Sir Stanley Matthews, an English football legend and the first-ever Ballon d'Or winner.

Meanwhile, Vozinha, who stood at the center of Cape Verde's sensation at the North and Central America World Cup, was included among the 10 nominees for the Yashin Trophy, awarded to the best goalkeeper.

Vozinha will compete with Unai Simon, who made a major contribution to Spain's World Cup victory, and Emiliano Martinez of runners-up Argentina, among others.

(Photo: Ballon d'Or SNS, Yonhap News)