Ballon d’Or 2026: PSG and Barcelona Claim Top Club Honours

London’s Palladium Theatre became a meeting point for Europe’s leading clubs on a delayed Ballon d’Or night, with Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona taking the major club honours after seasons that placed them at the centre of the continental game. PSG, Champions League winners, were named Men’s Club of the Year, while Barcelona collected the corresponding women’s award.

Ousmane Dembélé accepted the men’s club prize for the Paris side, whose delegation was limited because several nominees were involved in PSG’s match against Olympique Lyon at the time. Barcelona president Joan Laporta received the women’s club award and used the occasion to salute the players, coach Pere Romeu, sporting executives Xavi Puig and Angel Ruidalbas, as well as UEFA, the Spanish federation and Liga F.

Laporta said Barcelona’s support had been central to the team’s achievements and set out the club’s ambitions for the season ahead: a third straight league title and another push for the Champions League.

Barcelona and Spain prominent among the honours

Barcelona’s presence extended well beyond the club award. Pere Romeu was chosen as Women’s Coach of the Year after being shortlisted alongside Jonatan Giráldez, Andrée Jeglertz, Nils Nielsen and Elena Sadiku. Romeu described the distinction as a collective achievement, crediting his players, staff and his long development within the club.

Luis de la Fuente took the Men’s Coach of the Year prize for his work with Spain. Mikel Arteta, Unai Emery, Vincent Kompany and Luis Enrique were also in contention. De la Fuente called the recognition an honour for the whole Spain set-up, including his coaching staff and the Spanish federation, and said the award should drive the group to keep improving.

Vicky López retained the Women’s Young Talent trophy, making it two consecutive wins for the Barcelona player. She dedicated the award to her team-mates, coaches, family and friends, with a special thought for her late mother.

Lamine Yamal was named Men’s Young Talent of the Year for a third time. The Barcelona forward said he wished Pau Cubarsí could have shared the moment, insisting that his club-mate also deserved recognition. Cubarsí had been among the nominees with Yan Diomande, Lennart Karl and Warren Zaïre-Emery.

Goalkeepers and community work recognised

Cata Coll of Barcelona won the women’s goalkeeping award, while Athletic Club and Spain goalkeeper Unai Simón was selected in the men’s category. Coll thanked Barcelona, Spain and her family, saying the prize belonged as much to Mallorca and her team-mates as to herself.

Simón paid tribute to his family, childhood friends, Spain colleagues and Athletic team-mates. He also remembered Koldo Asua, saying he had learned from him that a player’s legacy matters most, and spoke of his lasting affection for Athletic’s colours, history and supporters.

The goalkeeper shortlists had included Ann-Katrin Berger, Hannah Hampton, Lorena and Ayaka Yamashita in the women’s field. The men’s nominees were Joan García, Simón, David Raya, Thibaut Courtois, Yassine Bounou, Emiliano Martínez, Gregor Kobel, Édouard Mendy, Matvei Safonov and Vozinha.

Bukayo Saka received the Socrates Trophy for humanitarian work. The Arsenal forward has worked with BigShoe, supporting young people in difficult circumstances and helping fund medical and humanitarian initiatives internationally.

A late start in London

Traffic in the British capital pushed the start back from the scheduled 21:00 local time, first by half an hour and ultimately by around 45 minutes. Kate Scott and Thierry Henry hosted the ceremony, which opened with a performance from British singer Jorja Smith and included a retrospective marking 70 years of the Ballon d’Or.

Former Arsenal figures Sol Campbell and Patrick Vieira presented the club prizes, while Rafa Benítez handed out the coaching awards. Andriy Shevchenko, the 2004 Ballon d’Or winner, presented the young player honour. Peter Schmeichel was on stage for the goalkeeping prizes, Lucy Bronze for the women’s young talent award and Burna Boy for the Socrates Trophy.

The men’s club shortlist comprised PSG, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Bodø/Glimt and Flamengo. Barcelona, OL Lyonnes, Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Club América were the nominees in the women’s category.

Ballon d’Or rankings take shape

The ceremony also confirmed much of the voting order before the final places were revealed. Jude Bellingham finished 11th in the men’s ranking, immediately ahead of Cubarsí. Achraf Hakimi was 13th and Vitinha 14th, with PSG’s Champions League-winning squad strongly represented throughout the list.

The final men’s top 10, with the eventual order still to be announced at that stage, consisted of Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, Rodri, Fabián Ruiz, Dembélé, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Michael Olise and Erling Haaland.

Messi did not travel to London. He had made a rapid trip from the United States to Oviedo for the Princess of Asturias awards before returning to New York, where he played 30 minutes in Inter Miami’s 2-0 defeat to the New York Red Bulls.

Women’s top 10 features five Barcelona connections

Alexia Putellas, now with London City, was among the final 10 in the women’s vote, joined by Barcelona players Ewa Pajor, Patri Guijarro, Caroline Graham Hansen and Claudia Pina. The remaining top-10 contenders were Melchie Dumornay, Khadija Shaw, Pernille Harder, Alessia Russo and Temwa Chawinga.

Before the awards, Laporta had said Barcelona were hopeful of major individual recognition, particularly for Yamal, while stressing the club’s league and Champions League ambitions. Spain goalkeeper Joan García also welcomed the presence of Simón and Raya among the goalkeeping nominees, describing it as a reflection of the country’s strength in that position.

For PSG, Barcelona, Arsenal and Bayern Munich, the London gathering reflected a season in which club achievement and international prominence crossed paths. The trophies distributed at the Palladium gave the clearest early picture of where that balance had fallen.