FOOTBALL – Harry Kane, Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi have all made the 30-man shortlist for the 2026 Men’s Ballon d’Or, while Cape Verde’s World Cup hero Vozinha has been nominated for the Yashin award, organisers France Football announced yesterday.
Kane had a stunning season with Bayern Munich and England, scoring 73 goals for club and country in 65 matches and helped secure a treble of Bundesliga, German Cup, and German Super Cup as well as leading his nation to the World Cup semi-finals.
Haaland netted 58 goals in 64 games for Manchester City and Norway, while eight-times Ballon d’Or winner Messi had 75 goal contributions in 49 matches for Inter Miami and Argentina, who he helped to reached the World Cup final.
Also among those on the shortlist are Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Lamine Yamal but not five-times winner Cristiano Ronaldo despite the Portugal forward lifting the Saudi Pro League title with Al-Nassr.
The women’s shortlist includes Poland’s Barcelona quadruple-winner Ewa Pajor, Alexia Putellas, who featured for Barca and Spain but has now joined London City Lionesses, and Manchester City’s prolific Jamaica striker Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw.
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