Lionel Messi Leads 2026 Ballon d’Or Nominees With Most Nominations
- Lionel Messi received his 17th Ballon d'Or nomination, leaving him just one short of Cristiano Ronaldo's all-time record of 18
- The 2026 ceremony is scheduled for October 26 in London, with 30 nominees in contention for the men's award
- Kylian Mbappé leads the active challengers behind Messi with 9 nominations, followed by Harry Kane on 8
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Lionel Messi has received his 17th Ballon d'Or nomination, placing the 39-year-old Argentine within touching distance of Cristiano Ronaldo's all-time record of 18 nominations, as the final list of 30 men's candidates for the 2026 edition was confirmed.
The ceremony is set to take place on October 26 in London, where Messi will once again be among the contenders. His first nomination dates back to 2006, making his two-decade presence on the shortlist one of the most remarkable runs in the award's history.
Source: Getty Images
Ronaldo, who earned his nominations between 2004 and 2022, remains the only footballer ever to have appeared on the list more times than Messi, as noted by Goal.
Kylian Mbappe leads the next generation
Among players still active at the top level, Kylian Mbappé is the closest to Messi's consistency, having collected nine Ballon d'Or nominations so far. Harry Kane follows with eight appearances on the shortlist.
Erling Haaland, Vinícius Júnior, Lautaro Martínez and Sadio Mané each have five or six nominations to their name, underlining the competitive depth of the current generation of forwards.
Several younger players are also building their own nomination tallies. Jude Bellingham has appeared on the list four times, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Rodri Hernández, Declan Rice and Lamine Yamal have each been nominated three times.
The breadth of the 2026 shortlist reflects a mix of long-standing figures and emerging stars, with the full 30-man list capturing both the continuity of elite performance and the pace at which new talent is breaking through at the highest level.
2026 nominees with most nominations
Lionel Messi: 17 nominations
Kylian Mbappé: 9 nominations
Harry Kane: 8 nominations
Erling Haaland: 6 nominations
Sadio Mané: 5 nominations
Lautaro Martínez: 5 nominations
Vinícius Júnior: 5 nominations
Jude Bellingham: 4 nominations
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia: 3 nominations
Lamine Yamal: 3 nominations
Rodri Hernández: 3 nominations
Declan Rice: 3 nominations
Vitinha: 3 nominations
Rice expresses delight after 2nd nomination
Legit.ng previously reported that Declan Rice admitted that his second Ballon d'Or nomination shows his growth as a professional footballer.
The Arsenal midfielder, despite being nominated, tips England national teammate Harry Kane to win the keenly contested award this year.
Source: Legit.ng
