Sports
2026 Ballon d'Or shortlist announced; Kvaratskhelia sole nominee absent from World Cup
September 9, 2026 at 06:30 AM
Coverage
4 reports · 2 in Arabic, 2 in English · over 15 hours
AJAl Jazeera Arabic
الكرة الذهبية 2026.. من الأوفر حظا للفوز بلقب أفضل لاعب؟
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AJAl Jazeera Arabic
بعد 20 عاما.. كفاراتسخيليا يكرر سيناريو إيتو في سباق الكرة الذهبية
(opens the publisher’s site)
BNBBC News
Ballon d'Or: Sadio Mane and Achraf Hakimi nominated - but when will Africa win again?
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TGThe Guardian
Harry Kane and Alessia Russo among nominees for this year’s Ballon d’Or
(opens the publisher’s site)Organizers have named the 30 candidates for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, with the ceremony set for October 26 at London's Palladium on the award's 70th anniversary.
- Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia is the only nominee who did not play the 2026 World Cup after his national team failed to qualify.
- UEFA's technical observers named Kvaratskhelia Champions League player of the season after he scored 10 goals and provided 6 assists in 16 matches for PSG.
- Senegal's Sadio Mane and Morocco's Achraf Hakimi are the only two Africans on the 30-man list.
- Cameroon's Samuel Eto'o was the only candidate absent from the 2006 World Cup and finished sixth in that year's voting.