Ballon d'Or 2026: 30 nominees feature eight Barcelona players, Aitana Bonmati out, Alexia Putellas back | OneFootball

Alexia Putellas returns to the 30-strong Ballon d'Or 2026 shortlist as Barcelona supply eight nominees, while Aitana Bonmati misses out. According to L'Équipe, eight Barcelona players are named and Bonmati does not make the cut.

Bonmati fractured her left fibula on 30 November during Spain training. She returned to feature in the Champions League final in Oslo on 23 May, but did not make the shortlist.

Putellas, the 2021 and 2022 winner, has come back from serious knee surgery to post 26 goals and 15 assists. The 32-year-old captain completed a clean sweep with Barcelona last season before moving to London in July.

Last year Bonmati, despite not winning the Champions League, still finished ahead of Gunners Mariona Caldentey and Alessia Russo. Barcelona then thrashed Lyon 4-0 in the final, and their 2025-26 nominees could be on stage again on 26 October, for a sixth successive year.

With Ada Hegerberg and Megan Rapinoe not on the list, Ewa Pajor led Champions League scoring with 11, including two in the final. Caroline Graham Hansen and Claudia Pina topped the Liga charts for assists, 10, and goals, 21.

The Women's Super League now accounts for 11 of the 30, aided by moves for Putellas, Mapi Leon and Matsukubo, and Manchester City’s double is marked by five picks including Khadija Shaw and Alex Greenwood. Spain lead with six, and Lyon’s 36-year-old Wendie Renard becomes the most frequent invitee with six career nominations alongside 10 first-time nominees.

Source: L'Équipe

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