We’re getting ever closer to finding out who the 30 nominees for the 2026 Men’s Ballon d'Or will be.

Excitement is building, and fans around the world are already beginning to speculate on who the candidates might be.

This makes it a good opportunity to take a look at the world’s top squads and see which teams currently have the most nominees in their ranks.

Being named in the shortlist for the Ballon d'Or is a testament to a player’s quality…

But having several of them in the same team ensures the experience needed to compete at the very highest level.

Below, we list the clubs with the most ‘Ballon d'Or’ nominees in their current squads and the years in which each player received their nomination.

Real Madrid: 9 nominees

  • Kylian Mbappé (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)

  • Bernardo Silva (2019, 2022, 2023, 2024)

  • Vinícius Júnior (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)

  • Jude Bellingham (2023, 2024, 2025)

  • Thibaut Courtois (2018, 2022)

  • Trent Alexander-Arnold (2019, 2022)

  • Antonio Rüdiger (2022, 2024)

  • Denzel Dumfries (2025)

  • Federico Valverde (2024)

Paris Saint-Germain: 9 nominees

  • Ousmane Dembélé (2025) – Winner

  • Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (2023, 2025)

  • Vitinha (2024, 2025)

  • Marquinhos (2019)

  • Fabián Ruiz (2025)

  • Nuno Mendes (2025)

  • Achraf Hakimi (2025)

  • Désiré Doué (2025)

  • João Neves (2025)

FC Barcelona: 7 nominees

  • Rodri (2019, 2022, 2023, 2024) – Winner

  • Lamine Yamal (2024, 2025)

  • Pedri (2021, 2025)

  • Frenkie de Jong (2019)

  • Dani Olmo (2024)

  • Raphinha (2025)

  • João Cancelo (2022)* – To be confirmed as a permanent signing

Bayern Munich: 7 nominees

  • Harry Kane (2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)

  • Manuel Neuer (2014, 2015, 2016, 2021)

  • Joshua Kimmich (2022)

  • Luis Díaz (2022)

  • Kim Min-Jae (2023)

  • Jamal Musiala (2023)

  • Michael Olise (2025)

Arsenal: 5 nominees

  • Martin Ødegaard (2023, 2024)

  • Declan Rice (2024, 2025)

  • Bukayo Saka (2023, 2024)

  • William Saliba (2024)

  • Viktor Gyökeres (2025)

Manchester City: 5 nominees

  • Erling Haaland (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)

  • Rúben Dias (2021, 2023, 2024)

  • Phil Foden (2021, 2022, 2024)

  • Gianluigi Donnarumma (2021, 2025)

  • Joško Gvardiol (2023)

Liverpool: 4 nominees

  • Virgil van Dijk (2019, 2022, 2025)

  • Florian Wirtz (2024, 2025)

  • Alisson Becker (2019)

  • Alexis Mac Allister (2025)

AC Milan: 4 nominees

  • Luka Modrić (2017, 2018, 2021, 2022, 2023) – Winner

  • Mike Maignan (2022)

  • Rafael Leão (2022)

  • Christopher Nkunku (2022)

Atlético Madrid: 4 nominees

  • Jan Oblak (2017, 2018)

  • Julián Álvarez (2023)

  • Ademola Lookman (2024)

  • Alejandro Grimaldo (2024)

Al Hilal: 4 nominees

  • Karim Benzema (2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023) – Winner

  • Yassine Bounou (2023, 2025)

  • Kalidou Koulibaly (2019)

  • Darwin Núñez (2022)

Manchester United: 3 nominees

  • Matthijs de Ligt (2019)

  • Bruno Fernandes (2021)

  • Mason Mount (2021)

Inter Milan: 3 nominees

  • Lautaro Martínez (2021, 2023, 2024, 2025)

  • Nicolò Barella (2021, 2023)

  • Hakan Çalhanoğlu (2024)

Inter Miami: 3 nominees

  • Lionel Messi (2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023) – Winner

  • Luis Suárez (2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018)

  • Casemiro (2022)

Al Nassr: 3 nominees

  • Cristiano Ronaldo (2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022) – Winner

  • Sadio Mané (2017, 2018, 2019, 2022)

  • João Félix (2019)

Will any other club join this list in 2026?

It won’t be long before we find out who the nominees will be for this year’s ceremony.

Excitement is at an all-time high.