Highlight:
- The first Ballon d'Or 2026 shortlists have been announced, covering Men's and Women's Club of the Year, Coach of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year.
- Real Madrid, one of European football's most decorated clubs, are absent from the five-team Men's Club of the Year shortlist entirely.
- The main individual Ballon d'Or shortlists, 30 men and 30 women competing for the actual trophy, haven't been released yet, with the winners crowned at a ceremony in London on 26 October.
Ballon d'Or season has begun, but not with the list most fans were waiting for. France Football has started rolling out its 2026 nominees category by category, starting with the club and specialist awards rather than the marquee individual shortlist. The early reveals still managed to produce the day's biggest talking point anyway: one of the game's most successful clubs isn't on the list at all.
Who's actually up for Club of the Year?
Five clubs each, across the men's and women's awards. On the men's side, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Bodø/Glimt, Flamengo and Paris Saint-Germain make up the shortlist, with PSG defending the title they won last year after their first Champions League triumph. Bodø/Glimt's inclusion is the standout story here, a Norwegian club reaching the Champions League last 16 is exactly the kind of run this award was built to recognise. On the women's side, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Club América, Manchester City and OL Lyonnes were named, with Barcelona among the favourites after winning the UEFA Women's Champions League.
So what's the shocking miss?
Real Madrid. For a club with more Champions League titles than any other in history, their complete absence from a five-team men's shortlist is the detail cutting through the most. It isn't a technicality or a narrow miss, they simply aren't one of the five clubs France Football considers to have had the standout season, a rare and pointed omission for a club of that stature.
There's a smaller version of the same story in goal. The Men's Goalkeeper of the Year shortlist runs to ten names, Yassine Bounou, Thibaut Courtois, Joan García, Gregor Kobel, Emiliano Martínez, Édouard Mendy, David Raya, Matvey Safonov, Unai Simón and Vozinha, and it's the last name drawing the most reaction. Vozinha, who plays for GD Chaves and Colo-Colo rather than one of Europe's traditional giants, has prompted genuine debate among fans over whether a strong individual tournament run should carry the same weight as a full club season, with several supporters questioning the pick directly on social media.
| What's confirmed so far | |
|---|---|
| Ceremony date | 26 October, London |
| Men's Club of the Year nominees | Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Bodø/Glimt, Flamengo, PSG |
| Women's Club of the Year nominees | Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Club América, Man City, OL Lyonnes |
| Men's Goalkeeper nominees | 10, including Courtois, Raya, Martínez, Mendy |
| Notable absence | Real Madrid, missing from the Club of the Year shortlist entirely |
| Still to come | Main 30-man and 30-woman Ballon d'Or shortlists |
Sachin Tendulkar of India celebrates his 50th Test century during day 4 of the 1st Test match between South Africa and India at SuperSport Park on December 19, 2010 in Centurion, South Africa. Photo by Duif du Toit / Gallo Images/Getty Images
Cheteshwar Pujara of India celebrates after reaching his century during day one of the Fourth Test match in the series between Australia and India at Sydney Cricket Ground on January 03, 2019 in Sydney, Australia. Photo by Ryan Pierse/Getty Images
