Kane, Bellingham and Rice Named on 2026 Ballon d’Or Shortlist

Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice have been named on the 30-player shortlist for the 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or. BBC Sport reported the England trio’s inclusion after the nominees were released Tuesday, with UEFA and England Football also publishing the confirmed list.

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Kane has earned the seventh Ballon d’Or nomination of his career following a season with Bayern Munich and an England side that finished third at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. England Football described the campaign as goal-laden for the national-team captain but did not publish a precise season total in its announcement. He is one of two Bayern players on the list, alongside France international Michael Olise.

Bellingham receives his fourth consecutive nomination. The Real Madrid midfielder scored seven goals at the World Cup, according to England Football, and has already recorded a Ballon d’Or podium finish after placing third in 2024. Rice completes the English men’s contingent after winning the Premier League title with Arsenal and remaining a regular for England.

The wider field includes Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, Lamine Yamal, Erling Haaland, Vinícius Júnior, Rodri and Ousmane Dembélé. Paris Saint-Germain have a particularly large presence through Dembélé, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, João Neves, Willian Pacho, Fabián Ruiz, Vitinha and Dayot Upamecano. Arsenal’s Gabriel and William Saliba join Rice among the nominees.

England also has representation across the women’s awards. Arsenal forward Alessia Russo and Manchester City defender Alex Greenwood are among the 30 nominees for the women’s Ballon d’Or, while Chelsea’s Hannah Hampton is shortlisted for women’s goalkeeper of the year. UEFA’s announcement lists separate awards for men’s and women’s players, young talents, goalkeepers, coaches, clubs and strikers, as well as the Sócrates Award.

The winners will be revealed on Monday, October 26, at the London Palladium. UEFA says the ceremony will be staged in London for the first time as the Ballon d’Or marks its 70th anniversary, paying tribute to inaugural 1956 winner Stanley Matthews. An international panel of journalists will vote, with one representative from each of the top 100 countries in the FIFA men’s rankings and the top 50 in the women’s rankings.