Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham are in contention to win this year’s Ballon d’Or after being named in their 30-man nominee list.
Kane is among the frontrunners to win the famous prize after a prolific season for Bayern Munich and England.
The striker scored a total of 73 goals in 65 games for club and country last season and also won another Bundesliga title with Bayern, while captaining the Three Lions to third at the World Cup.
If Kane is to be announced the Ballon d’Or winner on October 26 at the London Palladium, where it will be held for the first time in its history he would become the first Englishman to be crowned it since Michael Owen in 2001.
Bellingham ended last season empty-handed at Real but demonstated his class at the World Cup, scoring seven goals – the most by an England player at a single tournament.
Joining those two on the list is fellow Three Lions team-mate Declan Rice who shone as Arsenal won their first Premier League title in 22 years and lost the Champions League final to Paris Saint-Germain.
Rice’s Arsenal team-mates William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes are on the shortlist with Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes joining them as the other current Premier League players on it.
Ousmane Dembele is the current Ballon d’Or holder and was part of PSG’s fantastic team last term. The likes of him, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Kylian Mbappe all make the list.
Eight-time Ballon d’Or victor Lionel Messi, who recently retired from Argentina, also features but there is no space for five-time victor Cristiano Ronaldo.
Other Ballon d’Or awards nominees
Elsewhere, England internationals Alessia Russo and Alex Greenwood are among the 30-strong shortlist for the Women’s Ballon d’Or, as are recent London City Lionesses arrivals Mapi Leon and Alexia Putellas.
Mariona Caldentey, Kerstin Casparij, Yui Hasegawa, Melvine Malard, Manaka Matsukubo, Vivianne Miedema and Khadija Shaw complete the Women’s Super League representatives.
Scotland international Caroline Weir, who move from Real Madrid to Lyon in the summer, is another nominated.
Yamal headlines the Men’s Young Talent of the Year shortlist, which includes Bournemouth forward Junior Kroupi. Manchester City new boy Ayyoub Bouaddi and recent Aston Villa acquisition Johan Manzambi are also nominated, while Chelsea’s Veerle Buurman is up for the women’s accolade.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta and Aston Villa’s Unai Emery are up for Men’s Coach of the Year, with shot-stoppers David Raya of Arsenal and Emiliano Martinez, now of Chelsea, up for Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year. Vozinha, 40, has also been nominated after the Cape Verde goalkeeper’s World Cup exploits.
England and Chelsea keeper Hannah Hampton is in the running for the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year award she won in 2025, as is Manchester City’s Japan international Ayaka Yamashita.
City boss Andree Jeglertz is up for Women’s Coach of the Year and his club are in the running for Women’s Club of the Year. Arsenal are nominated for Men’s Club of the Year.
This is the 70th anniversary of the Ballon d’Or, which was created by France Football and has been co-organised with UEFA since 2024.
This year’s event has been moved from Paris to London in tribute to the inaugural winner, England and Blackpool star Stanley Matthews.
