Dembélé, Kane And Mbappé Headline 2026 Ballon d’Or Shortlist

Defending champion Ousmane Dembélé, England striker Harry Kane and France star Kylian Mbappé headline the 30-player shortlist for the men’s Ballon d’Or 2026, while two-time winner Alexia Putellas leads the women’s contenders.

France Football announced the nominees on Tuesday, with the winners scheduled to be revealed at a ceremony in London on October 26. The event will be held outside its traditional Paris venue to mark the 70th anniversary of the first Ballon d’Or, won by England great Stanley Matthews in 1956.

Dembélé is among the leading candidates after playing a key role in Paris Saint-Germain’s successful Champions League title defence. Mbappé also had a landmark campaign, overtaking Lionel Messi to become the all-time leading World Cup goalscorer with 22 goals, although France were beaten by eventual champions Spain in the semifinals.

Kane enjoyed an outstanding season, scoring 73 goals for club and country and helping Bayern Munich win the Bundesliga. He also guided England to a third-place finish at the World Cup.

Veteran Argentina and Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi, 39, has also been nominated. The record eight-time Ballon d’Or winner helped Argentina finish runners-up at the World Cup and won Major League Soccer with Inter Miami.

In the women’s category, Putellas, Ewa Pajor and Melchie Dumornay are among the prominent contenders. Defending champion Aitana Bonmatí missed the shortlist after an injury kept her out for most of the season, despite returning late in Barcelona’s quadruple-winning campaign.

Dembélé said he expects the award to remain with a PSG player and named Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Kane and Mbappé as his top three choices.

The Ballon d’Or, established in 1956, is decided through voting by journalists from FIFA’s top-ranked nations. Voters consider individual performances, team achievements and trophies, followed by class and fair play.