The race for the 2026 Ballon d’Or men’s club of the year award officially takes shape as France Football and L’Équipe unveil the five nominated clubs for the prestigious global honor. According to reports from major sports outlets, the selection highlights a mix of European continental royalty, a dominant South American powerhouse, and a historic breakthrough from Norway’s Arctic Circle.
The 2026 Nominees for Men’s Club of the Year
The five contenders named for the men’s team prize span multiple continents and domestic leagues, reflecting performances evaluated across a structured reference period. According to published reports, the shortlist features English champions Arsenal, German titleholders Bayern Munich, Norwegian cup winners Bodø/Glimt, Brazilian treble-winners Flamengo, and French powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain.
Each club earned inclusion through distinct domestic and international achievements during the qualifying window.
Selection Criteria and Voting Regulations
The evaluation window covers the entirety of the prior season, running from August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026. Eligible clubs are judged without distinction of championship based on a holistic set of criteria.
The regulations mandate that voters consider the overall quality of play, trophies won, memorable victories, results that exceeded expectations, and adherence to sportsmanship and fair play. The winner is determined by an international jury of specialized journalists dedicated to the men’s Ballon d’Or awards.
Every juror selects two clubs in descending order of merit from the five-name shortlist. The shortlist itself is compiled by the editorial staffs of France Football and L’Équipe, joined by previous jury members and UEFA ambassadors—specifically Luis Figo and Fabio Capello for the men’s category.
Tie-Breaking Procedures and Point Systems
Points are distributed under a strict two-tier system where selected clubs receive two points for a first-place vote and one point for a second-place vote. The award goes to the organization accumulating the highest total score.
If clubs finish level on points, tournament rules dictate a clear sequence of tie-breakers. Jurors look first at the number of first-place citations a club received. Should a deadlock persist, officials count the number of players from each club—prior to summer transfer window moves—named to the respective Ballon d’Or individual shortlists. Any remaining ties fall to the editor-in-chief of France Football for a final ruling.
Global Representation and Underdog Breakthroughs
Beyond traditional European giants like Arsenal and Bayern Munich, the 2026 shortlist captures broader geographic depth. Brazilian side Flamengo joins the finalists following a dominant domestic and continental campaign that included the Campeonato, Copa do Brasil, and Copa Libertadores titles.
The Norwegian club secured its nomination following a historic run in the UEFA Champions League, where the Arctic Circle side reached the playoff rounds and eliminated last season’s finalists, Inter Milan, during its debut campaign.
What Comes Next
The winner of the 2026 Ballon d’Or men’s club of the year award will be officially announced during the main ceremony scheduled for October 26, 2026. International juries will cast their final ballots ahead of the gala.
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