Confirmed: Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, Cubarsi and Rodri nominated for 2026 Ballon d’Or | OneFootball

After earning a nomination for the 2026 Men’s Young Talent of the Year prize, FC Barcelona teenage duo Pau Cubarsi and Lamine Yamal have now been confirmed to be in the final 30 of the 2026 Ballon d’Or.

Indeed, the 19-year-old La Masia graduates find themselves in the running for football’s top individual prize, where they have been joined by new Barcelona signing Rodri.

Third time lucky for Lamine?

Lamine enjoyed an excellent 2025/26 campaign at Barcelona, notching up 40+ goal contributions for the club (24 goals and 18 assists from 45 games), helping them win La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup.

The teenage winger then played an influential role in Spain’s 2026 FIFA World Cup triumph during the summer.

This is Lamine’s third Ballon d’Or nomination, with the teenage sensation finishing as a runner-up last year behind Ousmane Dembele.

https://twitter.com/ballondor/status/2097334895081402430?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Cubarsi, too, was integral for Barcelona, taking over the mantle of the club’s defensive leader despite being a teenager, before shining at the World Cup with Spain, where he let in only one goal throughout the competition.

Rodri to become a two-time winner?

As for Rodri, the midfielder played some of his best football at the 2026 World Cup with Spain, winning the Golden Ball for not only his performances but also his captaincy, before joining for Barcelona this summer.

A former recipient of the award, having won it in 2024, Rodri is a top contender to win it this time around too.

Meanwhile, club legend, former captain, and eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi also finds himself in the running for the prize after leading Inter Miami to success and following it up with a fine World Cup campaign with Argentina.

Lionel Messi also nominated. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images)

While Lamine, Cubarsi, and Rodri make the final 30-man shortlist, there is no place for club captain Raphinha, who endured a difficult 2025/26 season due to injuries with both Barça and Brazil. Also missing from the list is star midfielder Pedri.

The fact that Fermin Lopez, who enjoyed an extremely productive campaign and won trophies, has been overlooked also comes as a surprise.

The competition will be stiff though with a host of PSG superstars, including the likes of Dembele, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, and Marquinhos, along with Bayern Munich ace Harry Kane, Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe also in the race for the prize.

Interestingly, Ferran Torres, who left Barcelona for PSG this summer, is also in contention, after enjoying a career-best season with the club and later on scoring the match-winning goal for Spain in the World Cup final.

Michael Olise, who registered a whopping 31 assists last season, is also among the nominees, along with Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes and Manchester City hitman Erling Haaland.