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Ballon D'Or 2026: Aitana Bonmatí Snubbed, Raphinha and Flick Also Left Off Shortlists

Tuesday, September 08, 2026

France Football and UEFA dropped the official list of Ballon d'Or nominees on Tuesday, and it came with a few genuine shocks. The award is widely seen as the biggest prize in football, and this year's race is shaping up to be a tight one after a season full of standout performances across the sport.

Biggest Shocks of the Announcement

The biggest surprise by far came in the women's category. Aitana Bonmatí, who has won the award three years running, didn't make the cut for best player this time. On the men's side, Brazil's Raphinha was also left off the list despite a big season with Barcelona, where teammates Pedri and Dani Olmo were also snubbed. Barcelona boss Hansi Flick missed out too, failing to make the best coach shortlist.

The awards were revealed one category at a time, and the full lineup is packed with names.

Best Club Nominees

For best women's club, Barcelona lead the way after winning the league and Champions League, going up against Champions League runners-up Bayern Munich, along with Manchester City and Lyon.

On the men's side, Arsenal headline the best team category as Premier League champions and Champions League runners-up. They're joined by Bundesliga winners Bayern Munich, Norway's Bodø/Glimt, Brazil's Flamengo, and Paris Saint-Germain.

Best Coach Nominees

In the race for best women's coach, the nominees are Jonatan Giráldez (Lyon), Andrée Jeglertz (Manchester City), Nils Nielsen (Japan), Pere Romeu (Barcelona), and Elena Sadiku (Celtic/BK Häcken).

The men's coaching shortlist is dominated by Spanish names. Mikel Arteta (Arsenal), Luis de la Fuente (Spain), Unai Emery (Aston Villa), and Luis Enrique (Paris Saint-Germain) all made the cut, alongside Belgium's Vincent Kompany (Bayern Munich). Big names left out include Hansi Flick, Pep Guardiola, Diego Simeone, and Lionel Scaloni.

Best Goalkeeper Nominees

For best goalkeeper in the women's game, the nominees are Ann-Katrin Berger, Cata Coll, Hannah Hampton, Lorena, and Ayaka Yamashita.

On the men's side, the Yashin Trophy shortlist includes Juan García, Yassine Bounou, Thibaut Courtois, Emiliano Martínez, Gregor Kobel, Édouard Mendy, David Raya, Unai Simón, Vozinha, and Safonov.

Best Young Player Nominees

The Kopa Trophy, handed out for the best young player, includes two Arab stars this year, Morocco's Ayoub Bouaddi and Algeria's Ibrahim Maza. They're joined by Kerim Alajbegović, Pau Cubarsí, Yan Diomandé, Lennart Karl, Elie Junior Kroupi, Lamine Yamal, Johan Manzambi, and Warren Zaïre-Emery.

Women's Ballon d'Or Nominees

Then came the category that raised the most eyebrows, the shortlist for the world's best female player, with Bonmatí nowhere to be seen despite her recent dominance of the award. The 30 nominees are Selma Bacha, Barbra Banda, Klara Bühl, Esmee Brugts, Mariona Caldentey, Scarlett Camberos, Kerstin Casparij, Temwa Chawinga, Cata Coll, Melchie Dumornay, Caroline Graham Hansen, Alex Greenwood, Patri Guijarro, Pernille Harder, Yui Hasegawa, Rose Lavelle, Mapi León, Lorena, Melvine Malard, Manaka Matsukubo, Vivianne Miedema, Ewa Pajor, Claudia Pina, Alexia Putellas, Wendie Renard, Alessia Russo, Khadija Shaw, Momoko Tanikawa, Caroline Weir, and Tessa Wullaert.

Men's Ballon d'Or Nominees

Finally, the biggest list of the night landed, the nominees for the men's Ballon d'Or itself. The 30 names are Jude Bellingham, Marc Cucurella, Pau Cubarsí, defending champion Ousmane Dembélé, Bruno Fernandes, Luis Díaz, Erling Haaland, Gabriel Magalhães, Achraf Hakimi, Harry Kane, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Lamine Yamal, Sadio Mané, Marquinhos, Kylian Mbappé, Lautaro Martínez, Michael Olise, Willian Pacho, João Neves, Julián Quiñones, Rodri, Nuno Mendes, Vinícius Júnior, Declan Rice, Lionel Messi, Fabián Ruiz, Ferran Torres, Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba, and Vitinha.

Notably absent from that list are Raphinha, Cristiano Ronaldo, Pedri, and Dani Olmo.

How the Award Works

The Ballon d'Or is awarded each year to the world's best player, decided by a vote among sports journalists from countries around the globe. Judges weigh individual and team performance, sportsmanship, and how consistent a player was across the whole season.

Ceremony Details

This year's ceremony will be held in London on October 26, 2026, marking the first time the event has taken place there. Alongside the main award, the night will also reveal the winners of the Yashin Trophy for best goalkeeper, the Kopa Trophy for best young player, and awards for best coach and best club, among others.

The Ballon d'Or always draws massive attention as the clearest marker of who's considered the best in the game, and this year's race looks set to spark plenty of debate right up until the big names find out who takes home the trophy.

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