Ten Paris Saint-Germain players have been included on a 30-player shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, a historic record for a single club, according to award organizers who released the list on Tuesday. Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal are among the nominees, while Cristiano Ronaldo was left out. The award is given annually to the player voted the best in the world for the year, with the shortlist determined ahead of the final voting process.

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe has said he would vote for himself to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or, the Daily Post reports. Speaking to French newspaper L'Equipe, Mbappe, who is regarded as one of the favourites for the prestigious individual award, responded to a question about his vote by saying he would back himself. The France captain's comments come as speculation builds ahead of the 2026 edition of the prize, which recognises the world's best footballer.

France Football has released its list of nominees for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, with eight-time winner Lionel Messi and young Barcelona star Lamine Yamal among those selected, according to a report by Punch. The publication shared the full list of players in contention for football's most prestigious individual award, which honours the best performer of the season. Fans can review the complete selection to see which players made the cut for this year's prize.

Former Rangers striker Ally McCoist has said that Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi does not merit winning the 2026 Ballon d'Or, following the Argentine's nomination for the prestigious award. Messi has won the Ballon d'Or a record eight times during his career and, now aged 39, is among the nominees for the 2026 edition. McCoist's remarks were reported by the Daily Post, which did not include further details on the former Scotland international's reasoning.

Real Madrid and France striker Kylian Mbappe took part in a rapid-fire question session posted on the official X account of the Ballon d’Or, according to Daily Post. He was asked to choose among football icons including Lionel Messi, Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo Delima and other former winners, working through a bracket of legends to identify his greatest Ballon d’Or winner. The excerpt does not reveal his final selection.

Ousmane Dembele, winner of the 2025 Ballon d'Or, has named his top three contenders for the 2026 award. According to Legit.ng, the French forward picked Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Harry Kane and himself as the leading favourites for the prestigious individual prize. Notably, Dembele left out high-profile stars Lionel Messi and Rodri from his predictions. The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony will determine the successor to Dembele as the world's best player.