2026 Ballon d’Or: Mbappe, Vinicius Jr and Other Nominees Who Won No Trophy
- France Football released the 30-man Ballon d'Or 2026 nominees list immediately sparking debate over surprising inclusions
- Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, and Vinicius Jr are among the five trophyless nominees
- The official criteria includes collective performance and titles won, raising questions about their chances
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France Football dropped its 30-man Ballon d'Or 2026 nominees list on Tuesday, September 8, and while the announcement was met with the usual excitement, it also raised a significant question: how did five players who won no trophy during the review period make the cut?
As noted by UEFA, one of stated criteria for the award is "collective performance and titles won." Yet five of the 30 men's nominees failed to satisfy that condition, making their inclusion a talking point beyond the usual debates about podium contenders and snubs.
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Legit.ng looks at the five Ballon d'Or nominees who did not win trophies in the year under review
Trophyless Ballon d'Or nominees
Three of the five are from Real Madrid. Jude Bellingham, Kylian Mbappe, and Vinicius Jr all missed out on silverware after Los Blancos endured a second consecutive trophyless season. For Bellingham and Vinicius, there were no notable individual honours to fall back on either.
Mbappe's situation is slightly different. The Frenchman won the La Liga Golden Boot, the Champions League Golden Boot, and the World Cup Golden Boot, giving him a stronger personal case despite the team's collective failure. He is the only one among the five considered a genuine contender for the award itself.
The other two nominees in this bracket are Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes and Al-Qadsiah forward Julian Quinones of Mexico.
Fernandes won the Premier League Playmaker's Award and the PFA Player of the Year during the period, strong individual recognitions despite United's lack of silverware.
Quinones, meanwhile, claimed the Saudi Pro League Golden Boot, finishing ahead of Cristiano Ronaldo, who was notably left off the nominations list entirely.
Neither Fernandes nor Quinones is expected to mount a serious challenge for the top prize, though their inclusions signal that individual performances still carry weight with the selectors.
The absence of Ronaldo, who was beaten to the Saudi Pro League Golden Boot by Quinones, has added another layer to the conversation around the nominations. While trophyless nominees earned spots, one of football's most decorated players was left out altogether.
For the four nominees outside Mbappe, the nomination itself is likely the ceiling of their involvement in the 2026 Ballon d'Or race.
Mbappe makes strong case for himself
Legit.ng previously reported that Kylian Mbappe made a strong case for himself to win the 2026 Ballon d'Or award despite having a trophyless season.
The Real Madrid forward claimed that he had the best individual performance of any player last season and hopes to follow Ronaldo as the last trophyless player to win the award.
Source: Legit.ng
