Key Takeaways
- Ferran Torres, who scored the winning goal in the World Cup final, leads the 30-man list.
- Six Spanish World Cup winners are on the list, including Torres and Rodri.
- PSG has 10 players nominated, including Fabian Ruiz and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Ferran Torres, the player who scored the winning goal in the World Cup final for Spain, leads the 30-man list for the men’s Ballon d’Or, announced on Tuesday.
The 26-year-old, who has since joined Paris Saint-Germain, is one of six Spanish World Cup winners on the list, alongside Rodri and Lamine Yamal.
In the women’s section, Alexia Putellas, who won the Ballon d’Or in 2021 and 2022, is nominated, despite breaking her leg midway through the season.
Torres, who won La Liga with Barcelona in May, is now teaming up with Ousmane Dembele at PSG, where nine team-mates have also been nominated.
Among the PSG nominees, Fabian Ruiz is the only player to have won the Champions League and World Cup in 2026, while Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Vitinha, and Joao Neves were stars in PSG’s successful Champions League defence.
Lionel Messi, an eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, received his 17th nomination, while Cristiano Ronaldo did not make the cut this time.
Harry Kane, who won the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich, and Michael Olise, his French team-mate, are also included in the list.
Real Madrid’s Jude Bellingham earned his nomination with an impressive World Cup performance, scoring seven goals and matching Erling Haaland’s tally.
Kylian Mbappe, who won the World Cup golden boot for the second time and topped the tournament’s record scorer list, is also nominated.
Yamal is nominated for the Young Talent award, which he has won the last two years.
Vozinha, a 40-year-old goalkeeper who was a hero of Cape Verde’s World Cup run, has made the goalkeeper list.
Barcelona will have a handful of contenders for the women’s award, including Putellas and Ewa Pajor, who won the women’s Champions League with the club in May.
