Among the 30 nominees for the 2026 Men’s Ballon d’Or, Portuguese fans can celebrate the inclusion of four of the country’s current top stars: Vitinha, the 26-year-old Paris Saint-Germain defensive midfielder (on his third nomination); Bruno Fernandes, the 32-year-old Manchester United midfielder (on his second nomination); João Neves, a 22-year-old Paris Saint-Germain midfielder (on his second nomination); and Nuno Mendes, a 24-year-old Paris Saint-Germain full-back (on his first nomination).

This got us thinking.

Given that so many incredible Portuguese players have been recognised by the Ballon d'Or over the years, which edition of the ceremony had the highest number of Portuguese nominees?

The Portuguese players who have won the award

There have been seven years in which a Portuguese player has won the Ballon d'Or.

Years in which the Ballon d'Or was won by a Portuguese player:

  • 1965 – Eusébio (Benfica)

  • 2000 – Luís Figo (Barcelona / Real Madrid)

  • 2008 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United)

  • 2013 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

  • 2014 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

  • 2016 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

  • 2017 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

There were also other years when Portuguese players came close to lifting the trophy, but ultimately fell just short.

Years in which Portuguese players came close to the ‘Ballon d’Or’:

  • 1962 – Eusébio (Benfica) finished in 2nd place

  • 1966 – Eusébio (Benfica) finished in 2nd place

  • 1987 – Paulo Futre (Porto / Atlético Madrid) finished in 2nd place

  • 2004 – Deco (Porto / Barcelona) finished in 2nd place

  • 2007 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United) finished in 2nd place

  • 2009 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United / Real Madrid) finished in second place

  • 2011 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) finished in 2nd place

  • 2012 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) finished in 2nd place

  • 2015 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) finished in 2nd place

  • 2018 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid / Juventus) finished in 2nd place

  • 2019 – Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus) finished in 3rd place

  • 2025 – Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain) finished in 3rd place

The year with the most Portuguese nominees

In total, 30 different Portuguese players have been nominated for the Ballon d’Or award.

But which year saw the highest number of Portuguese players amongst the final nominees?

The ranking provides an interesting insight.

Years with the highest number of Portuguese players amongst the nominees for the Ballon d'Or:

  1. 1961 – 6 Portuguese nominees

  2. 2004 – 5 Portuguese nominees

  3. 2022 / 2026 – 4 Portuguese nominees

  4. 1966 / 1995 / 2000 / 2001 / 2003 / 2005 / 2006 / 2007 / 2016 / 2019 / 2021 / 2025 - 3 Portuguese nominees

  5. 1962 / 1963 / 1964 / 1965 / 1967 / 1983 / 1984 / 1996 / 1997 / 2002 / 2008 / 2011 / 2023 / 2024 - 2 Portuguese nominees

  6. 1968 / 1970 / 1972 / 1973 / 1975 / 1978 / 1979 / 1980 / 1981 / 1985 / 1986 / 1987 / 1989 / 1999 / 2009 / 2010 / 2012 / 2013 / 2014 / 2015 / 2017 / 2018 – 1 Portuguese nominee

  7. 1956 / 1957 / 1958 / 1959 / 1960 / 1969 / 1971 / 1974 / 1976 / 1977 / 1982 / 1988 / 1990 / 1991 / 1992 / 1993 / 1994 / 1998 – no Portuguese nominees

For this ranking, we have only considered players who have represented the Portuguese national team.

Why were there so many Portuguese players in 1961?

The year with the most Portuguese nominees was 1961, with six. All six played for Benfica.

The concentration of Benfica players was no coincidence. The club was enjoying one of the most glorious periods in its history and had won the Portuguese League and the European Cup in the 1960–61 season. The 3–2 victory over Barcelona in the European final propelled ‘the Eagles’ even further onto the international stage and marked the beginning of a memorable era for the club.

Portuguese nominees for the Ballon d'Or in 1961:

  • 10th place – José Águas (Benfica)

  • 17th place – Germano (Benfica)

  • 23rd place – José Augusto (Benfica)

  • 28th place – Costa Pereira (Benfica)

  • 35th place – Mário Coluna (Benfica)

  • 35th place – Eusébio (Benfica)

Second place in the ranking goes to 2004, another unforgettable year for Portuguese football. Playing on home soil, Portugal reached the Euro final and finished as runners-up after losing to Greece. Despite the disappointment in the final, the national team’s campaign delighted the fans and brought several Portuguese players to the fore on the international stage. The recognition in the Ballon d’Or reflected the quality of that generation.

More than two decades later, Portugal is once again demonstrating the strength of its football. In 2026, four players from the country feature amongst the nominees for the Ballon d’Or, equalling the tally from 2022 and placing both editions in third position in the all-time rankings.

At the other end of the table, there have been 18 editions in which no Portuguese player was nominated for the Ballon d’Or. The longest periods without any representatives from the country were between 1956 and 1960 and between 1990 and 1994, with five consecutive years without nominations in each period.

It has been almost 30 years since the last time Portugal had no players nominated for the ‘Ballon d’Or’ (1998).

It is also worth highlighting the extraordinary career of Cristiano Ronaldo, who was the only Portuguese player nominated in eight editions of the award: 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018. His constant presence has helped keep Portugal in the spotlight even in years when no other player from the country appeared on the shortlist.

How far will the four Portuguese nominees go in 2026? Will any of them win the coveted trophy and become the first Portuguese player to win the ‘Ballon d’Or’ in almost a decade?