Revealed: The Chelsea Stars Up For 2026 Ballon d’Or Awards | OneFootball

Summer signing Emi Martinez is up for an award after his Aston Villa switch.

The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony is just around the corner, and the list of nominees for the prestigious award has been announced.

For the men, Chelsea will be represented at the awards ceremony for a third consecutive season. The event will take place in London on October 26, while the Women’s team will be represented for an incredible fifth straight year.

The awards ceremony has often taken place in Paris, France, but in tribute to Sir Stanley Matthews, the award's first-ever winner in 1956, it will move to London this year. To mark the award's 70th anniversary, hosting the event in the English capital will add a special ceremonial touch.

Despite joining at the back end of the August transfer window for a fee in the region of £7.5 million from Aston Villa, summer signing Emiliano Martínez has been nominated for the Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year award as part of the Ballon d’Or ceremony.

The Argentina international reached the FIFA World Cup final earlier this year, coming up short in a 1-0 defeat to Spain. The 34-year-old also won the UEFA Europa League with Aston Villa.

Martínez previously won the award in 2023 and 2024, beating the likes of Ederson in 2023 and Unai Simón in 2024. Most recently, in 2025, the goalkeeper finished eighth in the standings, with Gianluigi Donnarumma coming out on top as the eventual winner.

Chelsea last came out on top at the Ballon d’Or awards back in 2021, as the Blues were crowned European champions in Porto following a 1-0 victory over Manchester City.

Chelsea also received further recognition at the 2021 ceremony, with the Blues winning the inaugural ‘Club of the Year’ award. Thomas Tuchel was also recognised as FIFA’s Best Men’s Coach in 2021, while former Chelsea Women's boss Emma Hayes won the women’s award.

Edouard Mendy finished second in the goalkeeper category behind Donnarumma, with the Italian goalkeeper winning the Yashin Trophy. Jorginho finished on the podium in third place due to his contributions to both Chelsea’s Champions League victory and Italy’s European Championship success.

Despite not winning the Women’s Super League in 2025/26, the Blues have still received global recognition. Hannah Hampton will be looking to defend her award after once again being nominated for the Goalkeeper of the Year award, while Veerle Buurman is a Young Talent of the Year nominee.

For the overall award, new summer signings Manaka Matsukubo of Japan and Melvine Malard of France have both been nominated.

Former Blue, Marc Cucurella has also been nominated for the annual award. The former Chelsea left-back joined Real Madrid on the eve of this summer’s FIFA World Cup, hosted by the USA, Mexico and Canada. The 28-year-old played a key role in helping his nation lift the trophy, defeating Argentina in the final.

With both the men’s and women’s teams represented once again, Chelsea will be hoping for another successful night at the Ballon d’Or awards.