Kane, Haaland, Messi on Ballon d’Or shortlist
Five-times winner Cristiano Ronaldo did not make the list
Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, and Lionel Messi have all been selected for the 30-man shortlist of the 2026 Men’s Ballon d’Or award. Meanwhile, Vozinha, the hero of Cape Verde's World Cup, has been nominated for the Yashin award, which is given to the best goalkeeper.
Kane had an impressive season with both Bayern Munich and England, scoring 73 goals in 65 matches. His efforts led to a treble for Bayern Munich, as they won the Bundesliga, German Cup, and German Super Cup, and helped England reach the World Cup semi-finals.
Haaland, who played for Manchester City and Norway, netted 58 goals in 64 matches. Messi, a five-time Ballon d’Or winner, contributed 75 goals in 49 matches for Inter Miami and Argentina, leading them to a World Cup final appearance.
Other contenders on the list include Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, and Lamine Yamal, but Cristiano Ronaldo was notably absent despite winning the Saudi Pro League title with Al-Nassr.
For the women's category, the shortlist includes Ewa Pajor, Alexia Putellas, Bunny Shaw from Manchester City, and other notable players. Cape Verde's Vozinha was nominated for the Yashin Trophy, which recognizes the best goalkeeper in the tournament. He will compete against Unai Simon and Emi Martinez from Spain, Emi Martinez and Yassine Bounou, and Edouard Mendy from Argentina.
The 70th edition of the Ballon d’Or will take place in London for the first time, on October 26, in honor of Stanley Matthews, the first recipient of the award.
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