Who wins among the 30 Ballon d’Or nominees?
The list is already closed: these are the 30 picked by France Football. You decide what matters most and see who wins.
Under the starting criteria, the 2026 Ballon d’Or goes to Bruno Fernandes
Manchester United · attacking midfielder. Followed by Vitinha and Harry Kane. The award has not been presented yet.
The 30 nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or (2025-26 season), ordered by the starting criteria. The score runs from 0 to 100.
| # | Player | Position | Score | Vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bruno FernandesManchester United · Premier League | Attacking midfielder | 86.5 | |
| 2 | VitinhaParis Saint-Germain · Ligue 1 | Defensive midfielder | 84.3 | |
| 3 | Harry KaneBayern München · Bundesliga | Striker | 83.8 | |
| 4 | Michael OliseBayern München · Bundesliga | Winger | 79.4 | |
| 5 | Lamine YamalBarcelona · La Liga | Winger | 75.5 | |
| 6 | Erling HaalandManchester City · Premier League | Striker | 74.4 | |
| 7 | Declan RiceArsenal · Premier League | Defensive midfielder | 73.6 | |
| 8 | Ousmane DembéléParis Saint-Germain · Ligue 1 | Striker | 73.3 | |
| 9 | RodriManchester City / Barcelona · Premier League | Defensive midfielder | 71.8 | |
| 10 | Lautaro MartínezInter · Serie A | Striker | 70.8 | |
| 11 | Fabián RuizParis Saint-Germain · Ligue 1 | Attacking midfielder | 69.7 | |
| 12 | MarquinhosParis Saint-Germain · Ligue 1 | Centre-back | 69.2 | |
| 13 | Ferran TorresBarcelona / Paris Saint-Germain · La Liga | Striker | 66.7 | |
| 14 | Luis DíazBayern München · Bundesliga | Winger | 66.3 | |
| 15 | Kylian MbappéReal Madrid · La Liga | Striker | 64.9 | |
| 16 | Dayot UpamecanoBayern München · Bundesliga | Centre-back | 64.9 | |
| 17 | Nuno MendesParis Saint-Germain · Ligue 1 | Full-back | 63.8 | |
| 18 | Pau CubarsíBarcelona · La Liga | Centre-back | 62.5 | |
| 19 | Khvicha KvaratskheliaParis Saint-Germain · Ligue 1 | Winger | 61.0 | |
| 20 | GabrielArsenal · Premier League | Centre-back | 58.8 | |
| 21 | Jude BellinghamReal Madrid · La Liga | Attacking midfielder | 57.5 | |
| 22 | William SalibaArsenal · Premier League | Centre-back | 54.8 | |
| 23 | João NevesParis Saint-Germain · Ligue 1 | Attacking midfielder | 52.3 | |
| 24 | Vinícius JúniorReal Madrid · La Liga | Winger | 52.3 | |
| 25 | Marc CucurellaChelsea / Real Madrid · Premier League | Full-back | 47.7 | |
| 26 | Willian PachoParis Saint-Germain · Ligue 1 | Centre-back | 44.3 | |
| 27 | Achraf HakimiParis Saint-Germain · Ligue 1 | Full-back | 34.5 | |
| — | Sadio ManéAl-NassrNo data: plays outside the leagues we measure | — | ||
| — | Lionel MessiInter MiamiNo data: plays outside the leagues we measure | — | ||
| — | Julián QuiñonesAl-QadsiahNo data: plays outside the leagues we measure | — |
This is a game, not a verdict. It shows who stands out most through Sir Balone’s La Lente; a player’s impact is made of more than that. One view, not the final word.
What if the list were not closed? Build your own 30 candidates
The 2025 nominees, by the same criteria
Under the starting criteria, the top nominee of 2025 (2024-25 season) is Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool). The vote was won by Ousmane Dembélé, who is number 2 under these criteria.
- Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) · 80.8 · in the vote, 28.º
- Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain) · 77.9 · in the vote, 1.º
- Raphinha (Barcelona) · 75.5 · in the vote, 5.º
- Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) · 75.0 · in the vote, 7.º
- Pedri (Barcelona) · 74.9 · in the vote, 11.º
- Michael Olise (Bayern München) · 73.3 · in the vote, 30.º
- Viktor Gyökeres (Sporting CP) · 72.8 · in the vote, 15.º
- Cole Palmer (Chelsea) · 69.1 · in the vote, 8.º
- Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona) · 68.5 · in the vote, 17.º
- Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) · 67.9 · in the vote, 4.º
- Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain) · 67.3 · in the vote, 3.º
- Declan Rice (Arsenal) · 64.5 · in the vote, 27.º
- Lamine Yamal (Barcelona) · 64.1 · in the vote, 2.º
- Erling Haaland (Manchester City) · 63.8 · in the vote, 26.º
- Harry Kane (Bayern München) · 63.6 · in the vote, 13.º
- João Neves (Paris Saint-Germain) · 61.5 · in the vote, 19.º
- Fabián Ruiz (Paris Saint-Germain) · 60.9 · in the vote, 24.º
- Désiré Doué (Paris Saint-Germain) · 60.2 · in the vote, 14.º
- Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain) · 58.9 · in the vote, 10.º
- Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid) · 58.5 · in the vote, 16.º
- Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain) · 57.3 · in the vote, 6.º
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli / Paris Saint-Germain) · 56.0 · in the vote, 12.º
- Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen) · 52.3 · in the vote, 29.º
- Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund) · 51.0 · in the vote, 21.º
- Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool) · 48.1 · in the vote, 22.º
- Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid) · 48.1 · in the vote, 23.º
- Lautaro Martínez (Inter) · 42.7 · in the vote, 20.º
- Scott McTominay (Napoli) · 32.3 · in the vote, 18.º
- Denzel Dumfries (Inter) · 25.3 · in the vote, 25.º
How it is counted
The list is the award’s own: the 30 nominees of each edition. Nobody is left out here: all 30 appear.
The order comes only from what each of them did in his league during the season the award judges, with La Lente’s measures: what he produces, what he costs and the balance between the two (NVP). Trophies, the Champions League and national teams do not count: you already know those.
You decide how much each measure weighs and how much each league is worth. Each nominee is measured against every player in his position in his league, not just against the other 29.
A player who featured in two leagues that season appears with his best score. Anyone who played outside the seven leagues we measure goes at the end, with no score; so does the goalkeeper, who is measured differently.
For editions already awarded, you can compare your order with the vote.
Frequently asked questions
Who wins the 2026 Ballon d’Or on performance alone?
Among the 30 nominees, under La Lente’s starting criteria —a high NVP for the position and a lot of production—, the top one is Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), followed by Vitinha and Harry Kane. The award has not been presented yet. Change what matters most or how much each league is worth, and the order changes.
And in 2025, did performance match the vote?
By the same criteria, the top nominee of 2025 is Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool). The vote was won by Ousmane Dembélé, who is number 2 under these criteria.
Why do some nominees have no score?
La Lente measures seven leagues: the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga, Ligue 1, the Eredivisie and Liga Portugal. Anyone who spent the season outside them appears at the end of the list, with no score. In 2026 they are Sadio Mané, Lionel Messi and Julián Quiñones. Goalkeepers also go at the end, because they are measured differently.
How is each nominee’s score calculated?
It blends three of La Lente’s measures, each from 0 to 100: the balance between what he produces and what he costs (NVP), what he produces and how little he costs. You decide how much each one weighs. The result is multiplied by what the player’s league is worth, which you also decide. Each nominee is compared with every player in his position in his league, not just with the other nominees.
Is it related to France Football?
No. The 30 names are those announced by the award’s organisers; the order is La Lente’s, with your variables. It is an independent tool by Sir Balone: there are no votes, only performance data.