Sports
Messi nominated for record ninth Ballon d'Or as France Football unveils 30-player shortlist
September 10, 2026 at 08:30 AM · Updated 36d ago
Coverage
3 reports · 1 in Arabic, 2 in English · over 22 hours
ESESPN
2026 Ballon d'Or: Full men's, women's short lists, host city change, more
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AJAl Jazeera Arabic
الكرة الذهبية التاسعة.. حلم ميسي المتجدد كل عام
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TGThe Guardian
Men’s Ballon d’Or 2026 power rankings: will there be an English winner for the first time in 25 years?
(opens the publisher’s site)France Football has announced the 30-player shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, with Lionel Messi nominated for a record-extending ninth title ahead of the October 26 ceremony in London.
- France Football published the 2026 Ballon d'Or shortlist of 30 nominees; the winner will be announced at a ceremony in London on October 26.
- Messi, holder of the record with eight wins, earned his 17th career shortlist appearance after leading Inter Miami to the US league title and Argentina to the World Cup final.
- Messi recorded 75 goal contributions in 49 matches for Inter Miami and Argentina during the evaluation period, with 8 goals and 4 assists in 8 World Cup matches.
- Spain won the 2026 World Cup, defeating Argentina 0–1 after extra time in the final.
Latest developments
- Sep 10 — The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony has moved from Paris to London's Palladium theater on October 26, marking the gala's 70th anniversary and its 1956 origins in Blackpool, England.
- Sep 10 — The shortlists were decided by a jury of 100 journalists worldwide, with a separate women's list announced alongside the 30 men's nominees.
- Sep 10 — Notable men's nominees include Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland, and Spain's World Cup winners Pau Cubarsí and Marc Cucurella, with Kane scoring 67 goals for Bayern Munich.