Lautato nominated for 2026 Ballon d'Or

A special day for the football world, with one of the most prestigious and eagerly anticipated events on the annual calendar drawing closer: the Ballon d'Or is back, one of the most important individual awards in world sport. France Football has unveiled the 30 players shortlisted for the prize, with Lautaro Martinez among the nominees.

The 2026 Ballon d'Or marks the 70th edition of the award. To celebrate the milestone, the ceremony will be held at the London Palladium in London for the first time, paying tribute to Stanley Matthews, the Englishman who won the inaugural edition in 1956. The event will take place on 26 October. The shortlist is drawn up by the editorial teams of France Football and L'Équipe, under the supervision of two international figures: Luis Figo, winner of the 2000 Ballon d'Or, and UEFA ambassador Fabio Capello. The criteria take into account individual performances, team success, class and fair play.

The Nerazzurri captain has therefore earned his fifth Ballon d'Or nomination. El Toro finished 21st in 2021, 20th in 2023, seventh in 2024 and 20th in 2025. Lautaro was named among the 30 nominees thanks to his outstanding performances last season: he won the Scudetto and Coppa Italia with Inter, while also finishing as Serie A's top scorer with 17 goals. His excellent World Cup with Argentina also played a part in his nomination, with Lautaro scoring three goals, including the decisive strike in the semi-final against England that sent the Albiceleste through to face Spain in the final in New York.

A fifth nomination represents another major milestone in Lautaro's career. The Nerazzurri captain is now the third Inter player in history with the most Ballon d'Or nominations, behind only Sandro Mazzola and Giacinto Facchetti, who received nine and eight respectively. Luis Suarez, Lothar Matthaus and Ronaldo follow with four each. For the fourth consecutive year, El Toro has made the final shortlist for the award, matching a feat previously achieved at Inter by Luis Suarez, Giacinto Facchetti and Lothar Matthaus. Only Mazzola, who earned all nine of his nominations in consecutive years, has done better.

2026 BALLON D'OR: THE 30 NOMINEES

• Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid - England)

• Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona - Spain)

• Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain - France)

• Marc Cucurella (Real Madrid - Spain)

• Luis Díaz (Bayern Munich - Colombia)

• Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United - Portugal)

• Gabriel (Arsenal - Brazil)

• Erling Haaland (Manchester City - Norway)

• Harry Kane (Bayern Munich - England)

• Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain - Morocco)

• Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Paris Saint-Germain - Georgia)

• Lamine Yamal (Barcelona - Spain)

• Sadio Mané (Al-Nassr - Senegal)

• Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain - Brazil)

• Lautaro Martínez (Inter - Argentina)

• Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid - France)

• Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain - Portugal)

• Lionel Messi (Inter Miami - Argentina)

• João Neves (Paris Saint-Germain - Portugal)

• Michael Olise (Bayern Munich - France)

• Willian Pacho (Paris Saint-Germain - Ecuador)

• Julián Quiñones (Al-Qadsiah - Mexico)

• Declan Rice (Arsenal - England)

• Rodri (Barcelona - Spain)

• Fabián Ruiz (Paris Saint-Germain - Spain)

• William Saliba (Arsenal - France)

• Ferran Torres (Paris Saint-Germain - Spain)

• Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich - France)

• Vinícius Jr. (Real Madrid - Brazil)

• Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain - France)