One of the most gratifying aspects to this year’s Ballon d’Or is the high volume of clubs who have a nominated player for the first time in their history.

A welcome occurrence most years, on this occasion the figure is especially high, with six represented clubs making their debut at the gala.

Of these, three compete in the Saudi Pro League, demonstrating the exponential growth - both in profile and quality – of the football played in that region.

Another is a prominent fixture in the NWSL, despite only being founded nine short years ago.

The remaining two are based in Europe, with one achieving the remarkable feat of putting forward a Ballon d’Or nominee while plying their trade in the second tier of their domestic league structure.

Let’s find out who they are…

Al-Nassr (Sadio Mane)

A substantial 16 goal involvements from the winger in 2025/26 helped Al-Nassr secure their first league title for seven years. The former Liverpool flyer additionally captained his country Senegal to an AFCON final before excelling at the World Cup, as the ‘Lions of Teranga’ reached the Round of 32.

This is Mane’s fifth Ballon d’Or nomination – finishing runner-up in 2022 – but a first for the ‘Big Yellow’.

Al-Qadsiah (Julián Quiñones)

The Saudi League has previously boasted Ballon d’Or nominees, but every example had them move there the summer prior, with much of their recognised accomplishments undertaken with their previous employer.

What sets Mane and Quiñones apart is they are the first two players to receive Ballon d’Or acknowledgement for output exclusively performed in Saudi Arabia and on the international stage.

For Quiñones that amounts to 33 goals across 2025/26 for the ‘Eastern Knights’, a tally that gained him a RSL Golden Boot.

He then extended on this excellence by firing four goals for Mexico at World Cup 2026.

On hearing of his nomination, the 29-year-old said:

"I’m very proud to have achieved this. I’ve worked hard for this moment and now it has happened"

Al-Ahli (Edouard Mendy)

This is the shot-stopper’s third nomination for the Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year merit, finishing runner-up to Gianluigi Donnarumma in 2021.

On both occasions, Mendy kept nets for Chelsea but a personally disappointing campaign in 2022/23 saw the Senegalese international lose his first-team spot and seek out pastures new.

A move to Al-Ahly that summer brought about a career renaissance that has translated to clean sheets galore. Fifteen were attained in the league alone in his inaugural season, and 12 a year later. In 2025/26, he kept 14 as Al-Ahli once again challenged at the top.

It’s his heroics in the AFC Champions League, however, that has propelled him back into the Ballon d’Or reckoning.

In last April’s final against Machida Zelvia, the 34-year-old was outstanding and not for the first time in the competition.

Johan Manzambi (SC Freiburg)

A series of superb showings at the World Cup with Switzerland – including a headline-grabbing brace from the bench vs Bosnia – led to a big-money summer move to Aston Villa for the talented youngster.

Shining on the global stage also contributed to the Geneva-born schemer receiving a Men’s Young Talent of the Year nomination in September.

That being said, his impressive and consistent output for SC Freiburg across 2025/26 should not be over-looked, Manzambi racking up seven goals and nine assists as the Bundesliga side finished seventh in the league and reached a Europa League final. Ironically, they lost to Villa.

In their 122 years of existence, Freiburg have been elevated by some exceptional players, not least Vincenzo Grifo and Christian Günter.

This though is their first Ballon d’Or nomination for a club employee.

Vozinha (GD Chaves)

Defying age and world-class fare repeatedly bearing down on him, Vozinha’s World Cup heroics against Spain will live long in the memory.

After pulling off seven saves to deny the likes of Pedri and Oyarzabal, the veteran stopper proudly held aloft the flag of Cape Verde after the final whistle, shedding tears of joy and exhaustion.

It really was a moment, one that is typically scripted in Hollywood.

In part, that display garnered the 40-year-old a deserved Ballon d’Or recognition along with a subsequent move to Colo Colo in Chile.

For the duration of 2025/26, the veteran made 19 appearances for GD Chaves in the Portuguese second tier, keeping six clean sheets.  

Manaka Matsukubo (North Carolina Courage)

Success came quick for the Courage, winning the Championship and clinching the NWSL Shield just a year after forming in 2017.

All told, they have won three Shields in their brief existence to date, quickly establishing themselves as a major force in women’s professional soccer.

Additionally, following a sublime season by Maksukubo, they now also have a Ballon d’Or nominee to their name, the Japanese number 10 converting 11 goals in 2025/26, a tally that includes a NWSL hat-trick against Bay FC.

A series of stand-out performances led to the 22-year-old being voted the NWSL Midfielder of the Year before moving to Chelsea in the summer.