Arsenal star Bukayo Saka has been nominated for the Ballon d'Or for the first time.
The 30-man shortlist is tonight being announced by France Football and the England international has been recognised, joining fellow Gunners players Martin Odegaard on the men’s list as Amanda Ilestedt and Katie Mccabe were named among the best female players in the world.
Saka has twice been nominated for the Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best male player under the age of 21, but missed out to Barcelona's production line of young talent both time; Pedri in 2021 and Gavi in 2022.
The 22-year-old is now looking to become the first English player since Michael Owen in 2021 to pick up the award. Only two other Englishman have been recognised; Bobby Charlton in 1966 and Kevin Keegan in 1978 and 1979.
Arsenal goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale has been nominated for the Yashin Trophy for the best goalkeeper, rivaling the likes of Manchester City’s Ederson and Manchester United’s Andre Onana.
Manchester City dominate both shortlists, with 11 players included plus Ilkay Gundogan, who left to join Barcelona in the summer. Harry Kane is again nominated, joined by Bayern Munich team-mates Kim Min-jae and Jamal Musiala.
Five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo, who now plays in Saudi Arabia for Al-Nassr, was not nominated for the first time since 2003.
Chelsea do not have any male players nominated but Sam Kerr, Guro Reiten and Millie Bright are up for the women’s prize. Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas, who has won the women’s award for the past two years, was not nominated this year.
The winners will be announced at a ceremony in Paris on October 30.
Men’s nominees
Julian Alvarez (Man City)
Nicolo Barella (Inter Milan)
Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid)
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid and Al-Ittihad)
Yassine Bounou (Sevilla and Al-Hilal)
Kevin De Bruyne (Man City)
Ruben Dias (Man City)
Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid)
Ilkay Gundogan (Man City and Barcelona)
Josko Gvardiol (RB Leipzig and Man City)
Erling Haaland (Man City)
Harry Kane (Tottenham and Bayern Munich)
Kim Min-jae (Napoli and Bayern Munich)
Randal Kolo Muani (Eintracht Frankfurt and PSG)
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli)
Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona)
Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan)
Kylian Mbappe (PSG)
Lionel Messi (PSG and Inter Miami)
Luka Modric (Real Madrid
Jamal Musiala (Bayern Munich)
Martin Odegaard (Arsenal)
Andre Onana (Inter Milan and Man United)
Victor Osimhen (Napoli)
Rodri (Man City)
Bukayo Saka (Arsenal)
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Bernardo Silva (Man City)
Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid)
Women’s nominees
Khadija Shaw (Man City)
Mapi Leon (Barcelona)
Mary Earps (Man United)
Asisat Oshoala (Barcelona)
Wendie Renard (Lyon)
Katie Mccabe (Arsenal)
Jill Roord (Wolfsburg and Man City)
Yui Hasegawa (Man City)
Alexandra Popp (Wolfsburg)
Aitana Bonmati (Barcelona)
Debinha (Kansas City)
Sam Kerr (Chelsea)
Guro Reiten (Chelsea)
Ewa Pajor (Wolfsburg)
Patricia Guijarro (Barcelona)
Daphne Van Domselaar (Twente and Aston Villa)
Lena Oberdorf (Wolfsburg)
Hinata Miyazawa (MyNavi Sendai and Man United)
Millie Bright (Chelsea)
Salma Paralluelo (Barcelona)
Sophia Smith (Portland Thorns)
Hayley Raso (Man City and Real Madrid)
Amanda Ilestedt (PSG and Arsenal)
Georgia Stanway (Bayern Munich)
Olga Ramona (Real Madrid)
Fridolina Rolfo (Barcelona)
Rachel Daly (Aston Villa)
Alba Redondo (Levante)
Linda Caicedo (Real Madrid)
Kadidiatou Diani (Lyon)
Yashin Trophy
Marc Andre Ter Stegen (Barcelona)
Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)
Mike Maignan (AC Milan)
Yassine Bounou (Sevilla FC and Al-Hilal)
Aaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)
Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa)
Andre Onana (Inter Milan and Man United)
Ederson (Man City)
Brice Samba (Lens)
Dominik Livakovic (Dinamo Zagreb and Fenerbahce)
