Ballon d’Or: the untold stories behind the nominations 🔍

Ballon d’Or: the untold stories behind the nominations 🔍 The list of 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or is now official. While the main favorites are all there, several anecdotes and peculiarities lie behind this selection. Longevity, surprise inclusions, and notable absences: here’s what stands out. Goalkeepers left out No goalkeeper has been shortlisted for the men’s Ballon d’Or. The world’s best shot-stoppers will have to settle for the Yashin Trophy. Paris power x10 One third of the nominees for the men’s Ballon d’Or are Paris Saint-Germain players. Mbappé, the rush for gold Kylian Mbappé is celebrating his ninth consecutive nomination for the men’s Ballon d’Or (2017–2026). Messi, the comeback king After two years away, Lionel Messi is making his grand return to the list of nominees. Ronaldo, the swan song Cristiano Ronaldo has now gone four straight years without being nominated for the Ballon d’Or. The three musketeers The three goalkeepers from Spain’s national team at the 2026 World Cup have been nominated for the award for the world’s best goalkeeper. Tactical supremacy Six of the ten coaches nominated in the men’s and women’s categories are Spanish! Not the Julián we expected Julián Quiñones (Al-Qadsiah) is the only representative of the Saudi Pro League and the Middle East on this list. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here.