The 2026 Ballon d’Or nominee announcements have begun, with the Men’s and Women’s Club of the Year shortlists the first to be revealed.
Further categories will continue to be unveiled in the build-up to the main ceremony, which takes place in London on Monday, 26 October, marking the award’s 70th anniversary and the first time it has been staged outside Paris.
ALSO: How Africa is represented in this year’s UEFA Champions League
Women’s Club of the Year
Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Club América, Manchester City and OL Lyonnes make up the five-team shortlist. Barcelona’s nomination follows a Champions League and domestic treble.
OL Lyonnes reached the Champions League final, where they lost to Barcelona, while also winning a domestic treble of their own in France.
Bayern Munich completed back-to-back domestic doubles in Germany and reached the Champions League semi-finals, and Manchester City won the WSL and League Cup double.
Club América round out the list after winning the CONCACAF W Champions Cup.
MORE: African stars to watch in this year’s UEFA Champions League
Men’s Club of the Year
Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Bodø/Glimt, Flamengo and Paris Saint-Germain complete the men’s shortlist. PSG are looking to retain the award after winning Ligue 1 and the Champions League again.
Bayern Munich swept the Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and German Super Cup, scoring 122 league goals, and reached the Champions League semi-finals, where they lost 5-4 on aggregate to PSG.
Arsenal’s nomination follows their Premier League title and a run to the Champions League final.
Flamengo won the Copa Libertadores for the third time in six years, alongside the Brazilian league and their state championship.
Bodø/Glimt’s inclusion reflects a remarkable Champions League run in which the Norwegian side beat both Atlético Madrid and Manchester City before eliminating Inter Milan in the knockout play-off.
Twelve categories will be decided in total on the night, including Men’s and Women’s Ballon d’Or, Coach of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year and Young Talent of the Year for both men and women, alongside the club awards. The two headline individual shortlists, for Men’s and Women’s Ballon d’Or, will each carry 30 names.
Voting for every award falls to an international panel of journalists, drawn from the top 100 nations in the men’s game and the top 50 in the women’s, with winners revealed live at the London ceremony on 26 October.
AFRICA PICKS: Football tips and predictions
Photo: REUTERS/Gintare Karpaviciute
