France Football released the official shortlists for this year’s Ballon d’Or on Tuesday, naming 30 men and 30 women who will compete for the sport’s most prestigious individual award. The winners will be crowned at a ceremony in London on Oct. 26.
Men’s shortlist highlights
Last season’s winner Ousmane Dembélé is back on the list, joined by England striker Harry Kane and Paris Saint‑Germain forward Kylian Mbappé. Both Dembélé and Mbappé featured for France at the World Cup, where the team fell to eventual champion Spain in the semifinals. Mbappé also made history by surpassing Lionel Messi for the most all‑time World Cup goals (22) in fewer matches.
Kane enjoyed a prolific year, netting 73 goals for club and country and helping Bayern Munich capture the Bundesliga title. He also guided England to a third‑place finish at the World Cup.
Veteran Lionel Messi, the record‑holder with eight Ballon d’Or trophies, remains on the shortlist after leading Argentina to a runner‑up finish at the World Cup and winning the MLS title with Inter Miami. The other active former winners – Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo and Luka Modrić – were not included.
PSG dominates the men’s list with nine nominees: Dembélé, Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, Willian Pacho, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha. In an interview with France Football, Dembélé said he expects the award to stay at PSG. He named Kvaratskhelia, Kane and Mbappé as his top three choices, also mentioning Michael Olise, Lamine Yamal, Ruiz and Pacho, but did not include himself.
“I don’t think the trophy is undecided. I think it will remain in the hands of a Paris Saint‑Germain player,” Dembélé said.
Other notable men’s nominees include Real Madrid’s Vinícius Júnior, Spain’s Ferran Torres – who scored the winning goal in the World Cup final – Manchester City’s Erling Haaland and England’s Jude Bellingham. Italy, which missed the World Cup, and the Netherlands and Germany had no representatives. Only one Serie A player, Lautaro Martínez of Inter Milan, made the list. No goalkeeper was nominated, leaving Lev Yashin as the sole keeper ever to win the award (1963).
Women’s shortlist highlights
Two‑time winner Alexia Putellas leads the women’s field, with Ewa Pajor and Melchie Dumornay also among the favorites. Aitana Bonmatí, the three‑time recent winner, missed the cut after an injury‑ridden season, though she returned for Barcelona’s quadruple‑winning campaign that included another Champions League title.
The voting system, established by France Football, relies on journalists from the top 100 FIFA‑ranked countries for the men’s award and the top 50 for the women’s award. Each journalist ranks players, assigning points that determine the overall winner. Organizers say the award is based on three criteria, in order of importance: individual performances and character; collective performances and titles won; and class and fair play.
Historical note
This year’s ceremony moves from its traditional Paris venue to London, marking the 70th anniversary of the first Ballon d’Or, which was won by England great Stanley Matthews in 1956.
Original reporting: KSAT Sports (San Antonio) — read the source article.
