The 2026 Ballon d’Or rankings have begun to emerge, with Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice, Real Madrid forward Vinicius Junior and Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes learning their positions ahead of Monday’s ceremony.
The rankings were released as football stars gathered at the London Palladium in England for the 70th edition of the prestigious awards.
The ceremony marks the first time the Ballon d’Or has been hosted outside Paris, with sports broadcaster Kate Scott and former France international Thierry Henry serving as presenters.
The rankings are being unveiled progressively, with the leading contenders awaiting the announcement of the men’s and women’s award winners.
Rice finishes 15th in Ballon d’Or rankings
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice secured 15th place in the men’s rankings, while Real Madrid winger Vinicius Junior finished 17th.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was placed 27th, with Arsenal defender William Saliba sharing 29th position with Senegalese forward Sadio Mane.
Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham finished 11th, narrowly missing out on the final 10 positions.
Barcelona defender Pau Cubarsi occupied 12th place, followed by Paris Saint-Germain’s Achraf Hakimi in 13th and Vitinha in 14th.
Other notable players included Ferran Torres in 16th, Marc Cucurella in 18th and PSG midfielder Joao Neves in 19th.
Ecuadorian defender Willian Pacho completed the top 20, while Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhaes finished 21st.
Harry Kane, Yamal, Mbappe await final announcement
Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane, Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe are among the prominent contenders for the men’s award.
Kane enters the ceremony following an outstanding season in which he scored 73 goals for club and country.
Yamal also enjoyed an impressive campaign with Barcelona and Spain, while Mbappe delivered strong individual performances for Real Madrid and France.
The final positions of the leading contenders will determine who succeeds Ousmane Dembele, who won the men’s award in 2025.
Women’s Ballon d’Or contenders revealed
The women’s competition also features several prominent players competing for the prestigious individual honour.
Malawi international Temwa Chawinga, Haiti’s Melchie Dumornay and Barcelona’s Caroline Graham Hansen are among the final 10 contenders.
Other names include Patri Guijarro, Pernille Harder, Ewa Pajor, Claudia Pina and Alexia Putellas.
Arsenal striker Alessia Russo and Manchester City forward Khadija Shaw complete the group.
Meanwhile, Manchester City midfielder Yui Hasegawa finished 11th, while Bayern Munich’s Klara Buhl occupied 12th place.
Arsenal’s Mariona Caldentey finished 13th, followed by Lyon defender Wendie Renard in 14th.
The awards recognise outstanding individual performances during the 2025/26 football season, with the winners set to receive their honours during Monday’s ceremony in London.
