The candidates for the 2026 Ballon d’Or have been revealed, featuring prominent footballers from around the world. The award ceremony will take place on October 26 in London, England.
Among the nominees for the Women’s Ballon d’Or are Selma Bacha (Olympique Lyon), Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride), Klara Bühl (Bayern Munich), and Esmee Brugts (Barcelona), among others. Also included are Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal), Scarlett Camberos (América) and Alexia Putellas (Barcelona/London City Lionesses).
As for the Men’s Kopa Trophy, the nominees include Ayyoub Bouaddi (Lille/Manchester City), Kerim Alajbegovic (RB Salzburg and Juventus), and Lamine Yamal (Barcelona). The nominees for the Women’s Kopa Trophy include Veerle Buurman (Chelsea) and Vicky López (Barcelona), among others.
The nominees for the Lev Yashin Trophy, which honors the best goalkeepers, include Yassine Bounou (Al-Hilal), Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa/Chelsea) and Unai Simón (Athletic Bilbao). In the category for best goalkeeper of the year, Ann-Katrin Berger (Gotham FC) and Cata Coll (Barcelona) stand out.
Among the candidates for best coach of the year are Mikel Arteta (Arsenal) and Luis de la Fuente (Spain National Team). Meanwhile, the nominations for women’s football include Jonathan Giráldez (Olympique Lyon) and Nils Nielsen (Japan National Team).
The nominated men’s teams for best of the year are Arsenal, Bayern Munich, and Paris Saint Germain, while the women’s teams include Barcelona and Olympique Lyon. France Football will announce the winners during the awards gala, held for the first time outside of France, in honor of Stanley Matthews, the first winner of the Ballon d’Or.
It is important to highlight that, starting from this edition, it will not be mandatory to play in Europe to be considered a candidate. The evaluation will take into account individual performance, team achievements, and sportsmanship on the field during the evaluated season from August to July. Additionally, performance in the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico will be relevant for the nominations.
Since its inception in 1956, the Ballon d’Or has set a standard as the highest individual recognition in football. Lionel Messi, with eight awards, leads the list of the greatest winners, followed by Cristiano Ronaldo, who has garnered five trophies. This year’s award will mark the 70th edition of the accolade.
Source: www.infobae.com
