2026 Ballon d’Or: 4 former winners that will lose out on award this year

As the Ballon d’Or organizers prepare to unveil the long list of nominees for the 2026 awards, some former winners are unlikely to go on and win the prize again.

Usually, it is made up of 30 players that are up for the biggest individual prize in football.

That list is then whittled down to 10 names, from which the top three and eventual winner will be announced.

DAILY POST takes a look at four former winners, who will not add to their previous awards in 2026.

1. Lionel Messi: Sometimes, a game of football that can decide a lot of things. Messi failing to win the 2026 World Cup, essentially means he won’t take the Ballon d’Or award home this year. However, the Argentina maestro still has the highest number of wins (8) in history.

2. Rodri: One of the most controversial decisions from this year’s World Cup, was Rodri being named the best player of the tournament. Many pundits and fans expected Messi to take home the award. However, Rodri who controversially won the 2024 prize ahead of Vinicius, cannot expect thunder to strike twice.

3. Dembele: Following a dazzling season with Paris Saint-Germain, Dembele won the Ballon d’Or last year and therefore is the current winner. But despite clinching the UEFA Champions League and Ligue 1 titles with the French club, he cannot expect to be named back-to-back winner.

4. Ronaldo: Cristiano Ronaldo won his last Ballon d’Or in 2017, earning his fifth and final award while playing for Real Madrid. Since he moved to Juventus, Manchester United and Al-Nassr, the Portugal captain has failed to make it to the top three and won’t be making a surprise appearance next month.