Sports Football
Spain World Cup winners dominate Ballon dOr shortlist with 6 players
One, World Cup champion team records biggest-ever shortlist
On September 8, the 2026 Ballon dOr candidate lists were officially announced. The Spanish national football team, which just won the World Cup, became the biggest winners with 6 players among the 30-person men Ballon dOr shortlist: Yamal, Rodri, Cubarsi, Kuko, Ferlan Torres, and Fabian Ruiz. This is the highest number of Spanish players ever shortlisted for a single Ballon dOr. Other candidates include England striker Kane, France striker Mbappe, Norway striker Haaland, and Argentina striker Messi. On the club level, Paris Saint-Germain has 10 players shortlisted. The Ballon dOr ceremony will be held on October 26 in London.
Two, Spanish coach group draws attention
Besides the stellar player roster, the Best Men Coach category is also Spanish-heavy. Enrique, De la Fuente, Arteta, and Emery will compete against Belgian coach Kompany. Enrique is the favorite after leading Spain to the World Cup, while De la Fuente is the current Spain national team head coach. In the goalkeeper category, all three Spanish goalkeepers Unai Simon, Hoan Garcia, and Raya are shortlisted. Cubarsi and Yamal will also compete for the Best Young Player Kopa Trophy.
Three, Award rules and historical background
This year Ballon dOr selection period covers July 19 2025 to August 3 2026, encompassing the full season and World Cup. The 30-person list is voted on by international sports journalists scoring 15,12,10,8,7,5,4,3,2,1 points. The past three Ballon dOr winners are Dembele 2025, Rodri 2024, and Messi 2023. Rodri won last year and can he repeat?
Source: Xinhua Net,五星体育 | 2026-09-09