Messi nets 17 Ballon d'Or nods, Ronaldo leads with 18 as 2026 nominees revealed

Messi has been nominated 17 times for the Ballon d'Or, placing him second on the all-time list, while rival Cristiano Ronaldo leads with 18 nominations. The 30-nominee list for the 2026 award was released on Tuesday, September 9, and shows Messi still in contention for a record ninth prize at the ceremony next month in London. Ronaldo, who plays for Al-Nassr, was omitted from this year's list despite holding the record for most nominations and five previous wins. Messi, now with Inter Miami, has won the award eight times, the most in history. The article notes that only Ronaldo has more nominations than Messi, and that Messi's 17 nominations put him just behind the Portuguese captain. For Nigerian football fans, the continued presence of these two legends in the conversation underscores the gap that African players still face in breaking into the sport's top individual honors. With Messi and Ronaldo still dominating despite their ages, what does this mean for the next generation of African footballers aiming for global recognition?

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/09/09/ballon-dor-2026-how-many-times-ronaldo-messi-have-been-nominated/