LONDON, 9 September 2026 (Nosheen): Argentina star Lionel Messi has been nominated for the men’s Ballon d’Or, leading a 30-player shortlist, while his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo has missed out on the nominations announced on Tuesday. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner received his 17th nomination after helping Argentina reach the World Cup final, where they took almost 120 minutes to register their first shot against Spain in a one-sided contest. The 26-year-old Ferran Torres, who joined Paris Saint-Germain after winning La Liga with Barcelona in May, is also among the nominees and is one of six Spanish World Cup winners on the list, alongside 2024 winner Rodri and last year’s runner-up Lamine Yamal. Torres has now joined last year’s Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele at PSG, with Dembele one of nine PSG players on the list who have won the Champions League in each of the last two years. With Torres included, 10 current PSG players are among the nominees. Fabian Ruiz is the only player among them to have won both the Champions League and the World Cup in 2026. Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was one of the key performers during PSG’s successful Champions League defence, while Portuguese midfielders Vitinha and Joao Neves have also been nominated. England captain Harry Kane, who won the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich, is included alongside his Bayern team-mate Michael Olise. Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham earned his nomination after an impressive World Cup campaign for England, scoring seven goals, matching Erling Haaland’s tally and finishing behind only Messi, who scored eight, and Kylian Mbappe, who scored 10. Mbappe has also been nominated after becoming the first player to win the World Cup Golden Boot twice, while also moving to the top of the tournament’s all-time goalscorers list. Yamal has also been nominated for the Young Talent award, which he has won for the past two years. Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha, aged 40, has been included among the goalkeeper nominees after playing a key role in his country’s remarkable World Cup campaign. Barcelona also has several contenders for the women’s award, with former Barcelona captain Alexia Putellas, the 2021 and 2022 winner, included on the shortlist after moving to London City Lionesses. Three-time winner Aitana Bonmati missed out after suffering a broken leg midway through the season. Putellas is one of seven Barcelona players who won the women’s Champions League with the club in May to be nominated, including Poland’s Ewa Pajor, who scored twice in the 4-0 final victory over Lyon. The men’s award also includes three players currently playing outside Europe, with Messi representing MLS club Inter Miami, while Sadio Mane and Julian Quinones play in Saudi Arabia. The women’s shortlist is similarly international, featuring Zambia’s Barbra Banda of Orlando Pride, Mexican player Scarlett Camberos, who plays in her home country, as well as Malawi’s Temwa Chawinga and American Rose Lavelle, who compete in the NWSL. The winners of the Ballon d’Or awards will be announced at a ceremony at the London Palladium Theatre on October 26.