7 top players including Cristiano Ronaldo left out of Ballon d'Or

France Football has announced the 30-player shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, with several of the world's biggest football stars surprisingly missing from the nominees.

The shortlist features defending winner Ousmane Dembele, who is among nine Paris Saint-Germain players recognised following the club's successful 2025/26 campaign.

Lionel Messi has also received his 17th Ballon d'Or nomination, although his chances of securing a record-extending ninth award may have been affected by Argentina's defeat to Spain in the World Cup final.

Spain's World Cup-winning squad is represented by 2024 Ballon d'Or winner Rodri and 2025 runner-up Lamine Yamal, while Ferran Torres also earned a place after scoring the decisive goal in the final.

However, several established stars who enjoyed strong individual and club campaigns were left out of the prestigious shortlist.

Here are seven of the biggest names who missed out on the 2026 Ballon d'Or nominations.

Cristiano Ronaldo is arguably the biggest name missing from the 2026 Ballon d'Or shortlist.

The Portugal captain endured a relatively quiet World Cup by his standards but continued to produce goals at club level for Al Nassr.

He also helped the Saudi Arabian club end their wait for the Saudi Pro League title.

Ronaldo's Al Nassr teammate Sadio Mane, however, earned a place on the Ballon d'Or shortlist, with his performances for Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations strengthening his case.

Barcelona midfielder Pedri was another high-profile omission that generated considerable reaction, particularly in the Catalan media.

The Spain international remains one of the most technically gifted midfielders in world football and was an influential figure for Barcelona.

However, Pedri lost his place in Spain's starting XI from the World Cup quarter-finals onwards, with coach Luis de la Fuente opting for Fabian Ruiz alongside Rodri.

That change may have contributed to Pedri missing out on the final Ballon d'Or shortlist.

Raphinha's omission is another major talking point.

Despite battling injury problems during the season, the Barcelona winger scored 21 goals in 33 appearances, averaging 0.87 goals per 90 minutes.

The Brazilian had previously finished fifth in the 2025 Ballon d'Or voting after an outstanding campaign, making his failure to make the 2026 shortlist particularly surprising.

Martin Odegaard's omission is one of the more notable surprises.

The Arsenal captain played a key role as the Gunners secured their first Premier League title in 22 years and subsequently impressed as Norway reached the World Cup quarter-finals.

However, Odegaard's campaign was also affected by fitness and form issues, which may have worked against him when the Ballon d'Or nominations were considered.

His impressive start to the new season has only made his absence from the shortlist more surprising.

Desire Doue was another notable omission from the shortlist despite playing an important role in Paris Saint-Germain's successful campaign.

The French attacker scored 13 goals and provided eight assists in all competitions as PSG won Ligue 1 and the Champions League.

With several of PSG's key players included among the nominees, Doue's absence has raised eyebrows, particularly after his impressive performances on the biggest stages.

Julian Alvarez continues to be regarded as one of the leading forwards in world football, but the Atletico Madrid striker was not included among this year's nominees.

He finished the campaign with 20 goals and nine assists across all competitions.

An injury heading into the World Cup limited his impact during the tournament, although he still produced a memorable moment by scoring in Argentina's quarter-final victory over Switzerland.

Enzo Fernandez also failed to make the final 30-man shortlist despite an impressive campaign.

The Argentina international enjoyed one of the most productive goalscoring seasons of his career at Chelsea before his move to Manchester City.

Fernandez was also an important figure for Argentina during their run to the World Cup final, scoring crucial goals against Egypt and England.

However, his red card in the final against Spain may have damaged his chances of receiving a Ballon d'Or nomination.

The 2026 Ballon d'Or race will feature several of the world's biggest stars, but the absence of Ronaldo, Raphinha, Pedri, Alvarez, Odegaard, Doue and Fernandez has already generated significant debate.

The final award will ultimately be decided by voting, with the nominees competing for one of the most prestigious individual honours in football.