The first shortlists for the 2026 Ballon d’Or awards have been announced, including the Men’s and Women’s Club of the Year nominees
The announcement comes ahead of the major Ballon d’Or ceremony, which will take place in London on Monday, October 26.
The annual awards recognize the best individual and team performances in football, with the shortlists for the major individual categories set to be revealed as the announcement process proceeds.
Women’s Club of the Year
Five clubs have been shortlisted for the Women’s Club of the Year award.
The nominees are
- Barcelona
- Bayern Munich
- Club América
- Manchester City
- OL Lyonnes
Barcelona are among the leading contenders after clinching the UEFA Women’s Champions League, while Club América also earned recognition following their success in the CONCACAF W Champions Cup.
Men’s Club of the Year
The shortlist for the Men’s Club of the Year award also features five clubs.
The nominees are
- Arsenal
- Bayern Munich
- Bodø/Glimt
- Flamengo
- Paris Saint-Germain
Paris Saint-Germain will be trying to retain the accolade, which they received last year after winning their first UEFA Champions League title.
The French giants are still strong contenders after another great campaign, but Norwegian side Bodø/Glimt has earned a place on the shortlist following their amazing journey to the Champions League last 16.
Men’s Coach of the Year
- Mikel Arteta — Arsenal
- Luis de la Fuente — Spain National Team
- Unai Emery — Aston Villa
- Vincent Kompany — Bayern Munich
- Luis Enrique — Paris Saint-Germain
Women’s Coach of the Year
- Jonatan Giráldez — OL Lyonnes
- Andrée Jeglertz — Manchester City Women
- Nils Nielsen — Japan National Team
- Pere Romeu — FC Barcelona Femeni
- Elena Sadiku — Celtic FC Women/BK Häcken
Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year
- Ann-Katrin Berger — Gotham FC/England
- Cata Coll — FC Barcelona Femeni/Spain
- Hannah Hampton — Chelsea FC/England
- Lorena — Kansas City Current/Brazil
- Ayaka Yamashita — Manchester City Women
Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year
- Yassine Bounou — Al-Hilal/Morocco
- Thibaut Courtois — Real Madrid/Belgium
- Joan García — FC Barcelona/Spain
- Gregor Kobel — Borussia Dortmund/Switzerland
- Emiliano Martínez –Aston Villa, Chelsea/Argentina
- Edouard Mendy — Al-Ahli/Senegal
- David Raya –Arsenal/Spain
- Matvey Safonov — Paris Saint-Germain/Russia
- Unai Simón — Athletic Bilbao/Spain
- Vozinha (Josimar Dias) — GD Chaves, Colo-Colo/Cape Verde
The shortlists for the other Ballon d’Or categories are scheduled to be released as the process progresses.
The awards are Women’s Coach of the Year, Men’s Coach of the Year, Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year, Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year, Women’s Young Talent of the Year, and Men’s Young Talent of the Year.
The major Women’s and Men’s Ballon d’Or shortlists will each include 30 players.
The individual award winners will be determined through voting, and they will be crowned during the ceremony in London on October 26.
Details later…
