The nominees are out for the 2026 men's and women's Ballon d'Or - the most prestigious individual prize in world soccer.
Big names on the men's shortlist include Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi, among others. For the women's shortlist, Alexia Putellas, Mapi León, Khadija "Bunny" Shaw and Alessia Russo are just some of the strong contenders.
What are the Ballon d'Or and the Ballon d'Or Féminin?
The Ballon d'Or, or "Golden Ball," has been handed out to the best player of the soccer season since 1956.
In 2018, the Ballon d'Or Féminin was awarded for the first time.
How are Ballon d'Or award winners chosen?
Going off of a shortlist of nominees, a jury votes using these criteria, according to the award's website:
1. Individual performances, decisive and impressive character.
2. Collective performances and titles won.
3. Class and fair play.
The jury is made up of specialized journalists - one from each of the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations for the men and one from each of the top 50 for the women.
Each journalist ranks their top 10 players and awards them proportional points. A journalist's No. 1 pick, for example, would get 15 points.
The player with the most points overall wins the Ballon d'Or.
Who has won the most Ballon d'Or awards?
Messi holds the record for the most Ballon d'Or awards, with eight.
Aitana Bonmatà won three consecutive Ballon d'Or Féminin awards in 2023, 2024 and 2025.
Who has won the Ballon d'Or in the past?
Here's an all-time list of Ballon d'Or and Ballon d'Or Féminin winners:
M: 2025 Ousmane Dembélé (France); W: Aitana Bonmatà (Spain)
M: 2024 Rodri (Spain); W: Aitana Bonmati (Spain)
M: 2023 Lionel Messi (Argentina); W: Aitana Bonmati (Spain)
M: 2022 Karim Benzema (France); W: Alexia Putellas (Spain)
M: 2021 Lionel Messi (Argentina); W: Alexia Putellas (Spain)
2020: Not awarded due to the COVID-19 pandemic
M: 2019 Lionel Messi (Argentina); W: Megan Rapinoe (United States)
M: 2018 Luka Modric (Croatia); W: Ada Hegerberg (Norway)
2017 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2016 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2015 - Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2014 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2013 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2012 - Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2011 - Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2010 - Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2009 - Lionel Messi (Argentina)
2008 - Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
2007 - Kaká (Brazil)
2006 - Fabio Cannavaro (Italy)
2005 - Ronaldinho (Brazil)
2004 - Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine)
2003 - Pavel Nedvěd (Czechia)
2002 - Ronaldo (Brazil)
2001 - Michael Owen (England)
2000 - LuÃs Figo (Portugal)
1999 - Rivaldo (Brazil)
1998 - Zinedine Zidane (France)
1997 - Ronaldo (Brazil)
1996 - Matthias Sammer (Germany)
1995 - George Weah (Liberia)
1994 - Hristo Stoichkov (Bulgaria)
1993 - Roberto Baggio (Italy)
1992 - Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1991 - Jean-Pierre Papin (France)
1990 - Lothar Matthäus (Germany)
1989 - Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1988 - Marco van Basten (Netherlands)
1987 - Ruud Gullit (Netherlands)
1986 - Igor Belanov (Soviet Union)
1985 - Michel Platini (France)
1984 - Michel Platini (France)
1983 - Michel Platini (France)
1982 - Paolo Rossi (Italy)
1981 - Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)
1980 - Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (West Germany)
1979 - Kevin Keegan (England)
1978 - Kevin Keegan (England)
1977 - Allan Simonsen (Denmark)
1976 - Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)
1975 - Oleg Blokhin (Soviet Union)
1974 - Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1973 - Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1972 - Franz Beckenbauer (West Germany)
1971 - Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)
1970 - Gerd Müller (West Germany)
1969 - Gianni Rivera (Italy)
1968 - George Best (Northern Ireland)
1967 - Flórián Albert (Hungary)
1966 - Bobby Charlton (England)
1965 - Eusébio (Portugal)
1964 - Denis Law (Scotland)
1963 - Lev Yashin (Soviet Union)
1962 - Josef Masopust (Czechoslovakia)
1961 - Omar SÃvori (Italy)
1960 - Luis Suárez (Spain)
1959 - Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentina)
1958 - Raymond Kopa (France)
1957 - Alfredo Di Stéfano (Argentina)
1956 - Stanley Matthews (England)
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