The 2026-27 football season is already in full flow – and the 30 nominees for this year’s Ballon d’Or have now been named.
Viewed as the most prestigious individual accolade in the sport, it is an award which has been dominated by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo in the 21st century.
But while Messi is one of the nominees this time around, it is virtually impossible for him to claim another victory – even after guiding Argentina to the World Cup 2026 final, where the South Americans lost 1-0 to Spain.
Of course, a number of the victorious Spanish players are part of the Ballon d’Or nominees following their success in North America, including Golden Ball winner Rodri and the Young Player of the Tournament in Pau Cubarsi.
Pedri and his Barcelona team-mate Raphinha are perhaps the two most surprising omissions, but 2025 winner Ousmane Dembele is once again part of the roster following Paris Saint-Germain’s second consecutive Champions League triumph in 2025-26.
Below, we run through all 30 candidates to win the 2026 award, as well as provding you with the latest outright Ballon d’Or odds on the NetBet Sport platform. And remember, all the latest football odds are also available to view on our easy-to-use online platform!
Who are the 30 nominees for the Ballon d’Or 2026?
Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid, England)
Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona, Spain)
Marc Cucurella (Real Madrid, Spain)
Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain, France)
Luis Diaz (Bayern Munich, Colombia)
Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United, Portugal)
Gabriel (Arsenal, Brazil)
Erling Haaland (Manchester City, Norway)
Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain, Morocco)
Harry Kane (Bayern Munich, England)
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Paris Saint-Germain, Georgia)
Lamine Yamal (Barcelona, Spain)
Sadio Mane (Al-Nassr, Senegal)
Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain, Brazil)
Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan, Argentina)
Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid, France)
Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal)
Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, Argentina)
Joao Neves (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal)
Michael Olise (Bayern Munich, France)
William Pacho (Paris Saint-Germain, Ecuador)
Julian Quinones (Al-Qadsiah, Mexico)
Declan Rice (Arsenal, England)
Rodri (Barcelona, Spain)
Fabian Ruiz (Paris Saint-Germain, Spain)
William Saliba (Arsenal, France)
Ferran Torres (Paris Saint-Germain, Spain)
Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich, France)
Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid, Brazil)
Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain, Portugal)
When and where is the Ballon d’Or 2026 ceremony?
The official Ballon d’Or 2026 ceremony will take place on the evening of October 26 in London.
What are the latest Ballon d’Or 2026 odds on NetBet Sport
*All odds are subject to change
Harry Kane – 1.62
Lamine Yamal – 4.00
Kylian Mbappe – 8.00
Rodri – 10.00
Ousmane Dembele – 17.00
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – 21.00
Lionel Messi – 26.00
Ferran Torres – 34.00
Pau Cubarsi – 34.00
Fabian Ruiz – 34.00
Michael Olise – 51.00
Erling Haaland – 51.00
Jude Bellingham – 51.00
Marc Cucurella – 101.00
Vinicius Junior – 101.00
Declan Rice – 101.00
Vitinha – 101.00
Joao Neves – 151.00
Achraf Hakimi – 201.00
Bruno Fernandes – 201.00
Gabriel – 201.00
Lautaro Martinez – 251.00
Marquinhos – 501.00
Dayot Upamecano – 501.00
Nuno Mendes – 501.00
Luis Diaz – 501.00
William Saliba – 501.00
Sadio Mane – 751.00
Julian Quinones – 1,001.00
William Pacho – 1,001.00
So, Kane is the overwhelming favourite to scoop the accolade, having scored 61 goals in 51 appearances for Bayern in the 2025-26 season as the Bavarians claimed a Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal double.
The striker also netted six times at World Cup 2026 for England, but could not prevent his nation from being dumped out in the semi-finals by Argentina.
If Kane does triumph on October 26, he will be the first Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001.
Furthermore, his success would suggest that winning a major European/continental competition such as the Champions League or World Cup is not always necessary!
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