Lamine Yamal, Cubarsí and Rodri make 2026 Ballon d'Or final 30

Lionel Messi returns among the nominees

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Sep 81 min read

What happened: The Barcelona teenage duo also earned places on the 10-player Men's Young Talent shortlist. Messi rejoined the men's field after winning the award eight times.

Why it matters: Lamine Yamal earned his third nomination after finishing second in 2025. Rodri won in 2024 and enters this vote as the reigning World Cup Golden Ball winner.

By the numbers: Yamal produced 24 goals and 18 assists in 45 Barcelona matches, or 0.93 goal contributions per appearance. Barcelona's three candidates account for 10% of the 30-man field.

What to watch: Voting now determines the winner ahead of the October ceremony.

Sources

Yahoo Soccer 2026-09-08T15:01:43.160379+00:00

CONVERSATION

Loading comments…

SoccerBreakingBarcelonaLamine YamalPau Cubarsí

WR Pro

The day's sports, briefed to your inbox at 7am ET. Every claim sourced.

$9/month Free weekly newsletter →