Three Arsenal stars nominated for top award

Three Arsenal stars nominated for top award Arsenal Ballon d’Or Nominations Reflect a Season of Real Weight Arsenal have three players on the 2026 Ballon d’Or shortlist, and there is nothing accidental about it. Declan Rice, William Saliba and Gabriel are there because Arsenal were finally relevant at the very top again. They won the Premier League, ended a 22-year wait for the title and reached the Champions League final. That is the level required if defenders and midfielders are going to get serious recognition. As reported by Standard, Rice returns to the shortlist after placing 27th last year, while Gabriel earns a first nomination. Saliba’s inclusion is fully deserved too. Arsenal’s season was built on control, structure and reliability, and those two centre-backs were central to that. Rice, meanwhile, gave Arteta’s midfield authority and consistency over the full campaign. Photo IMAGO Ballon d’Or Recognition Matches Arsenal Progress This is how these awards generally work. You do not get multiple Ballon d’Or nominees from one club unless that club has gone deep in the biggest competitions and collected major silverware. Arsenal did both. The shortlist is less about romance and more about visibility, and Arsenal had plenty of it. There will be some frustration around David Raya missing the main shortlist. If one Arsenal player can feel particularly hard done by, it is probably him. He was still recognised with a Yashin Trophy nomination, which matters, but given Arsenal’s defensive strength and his contribution to it, there is a fair argument that he warranted a place among the 30 names. Declan Rice and William Saliba Lead Strong Arsenal Case Rice remains the headline Arsenal name because he has already been here before and because midfielders of his type tend to become symbols of elite sides. Saliba has a different case, quieter perhaps, but no less compelling. He gives Arsenal calm, pace and positional assurance. Gabriel being added for the first time also says plenty about how this team is now viewed across Europe. Arsenal are no longer being treated as a promising side. They are being judged as one of the best. Elsewhere on the shortlist, Ousmane Dembele returns after winning the 2025 Ballon d’Or, while Bruno Fernandes is also included after edging Rice to the PFA player of the year award. The leading contender appears to be Harry Kane after a huge scoring season with Bayern Munich and a productive World Cup. London Ceremony Adds Extra Spotlight The ceremony takes place on October 26 and, for the first time, it will be staged in London as the award marks its 70th anniversary. Arsenal also have wider representation. Alessia Russo and Mariona Caldentey are on the Women’s Ballon d’Or shortlist, the club is up for men’s club of the year, and Mikel Arteta is nominated for the top coach prize. That is what a big season looks like. Individual nominations follow collective success. Arsenal earned both. Our View If you are an Arsenal supporter, this shortlist feels like confirmation of what you watched all season. Rice, Saliba and Gabriel were not passengers in a successful team, they were the spine of it. For years, Arsenal were praised for style and questioned for substance. That argument has gone. League champions and Champions League finalists do not need soft validation, but it is still satisfying to see the wider game acknowledge the level. Rice getting recognised again is no shock. He has become one of those players everyone notices because he affects every phase of the game. Saliba and Gabriel being there together matters even more. Arsenal fans have spent long enough insisting this is one of Europe’s best centre-back pairings. Now the shortlist says the same thing. Raya missing out will annoy plenty of supporters, and fairly so. Clean sheets, composure, distribution, big saves, he had the season of an elite goalkeeper. At least the Yashin Trophy nomination gives him a proper lane for recognition. From an Arsenal perspective, the bigger point is simple. This should not be the peak. These nominations should become routine if Arteta’s side stay at this level. Individual awards are nice, but they follow standards. Arsenal have set those standards now, and supporters will expect this club to keep operating among Europe’s elite. Source: Standard