Confirmed: Real Madrid duo Vinicius, Cucurella finish 17th and 18th in 2026 Ballon d’Or rankings

Confirmed: Real Madrid duo Vinicius, Cucurella finish 17th and 18th in 2026 Ballon d’Or rankings With the Ballon d’Or ceremony set to kick off shortly, the announcement of the rankings starting from the 30th position has already gotten underway. Real Madrid had as many as four players in the final 30 nominees and now two of the players have learned their final rankings. Indeed, superstar Vinicius Jr. has finished 17th in the 2026 Ballon d’Or rankings, while summer signing Marc Cucurella has come 18th. Vinicius endured a difficult last season at Real Madrid, going through inconsistent phases, especially in the first half of the campaign under former manager Xabi Alonso. The Brazilian international did turn things around in the latter stages under Alvaro Arbeloa and ended the 2025/26 season with a tally of 22 goals and 14 assists from 53 matches. He also performed decently for Brazil at the World Cup, earning him his fifth career Ballon d’Or nomination. Now, it is confirmed that Vinicius has taken the 17th position in the final standings. As for Cucurella, the left-back was at Chelsea last season where he was a consistent performer in a disappointing campaign for the Blues. Having signed for Real Madrid just before the World Cup, he was a key part of the Spain squad that lifted the trophy in North America. It has earned him the 18th position in the final rankings. Kylian Mbappe and Jude Bellingham are the two other finalists for Real Madrid, with the former a strong contender to win the Golden Orb.