The 30-man shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d'Or has been announced, with several World Cup winners and key European players missing out. L'Équipe listed 11 players who were absent from the Ballon d'Or shortlist.

In terms of goalkeepers, despite Arsenal goalkeeper David Raya winning the Premier League Golden Glove for the third consecutive year and helping Arsenal win their 14th top-flight title, he was unable to make the shortlist after serving only as a substitute for Spain during the World Cup. Athletic Bilbao goalkeeper Unai Simón won the World Cup with Spain and conceded only 1 goal throughout the tournament, but didn't record many high-profile saves due to his defense's protection.

Ultimately, none of the 30 players on this year's Ballon d'Or shortlist were goalkeepers, including previous Yashin Trophy winners Alisson, Donnarumma, Courtois, and Emiliano Martínez.

In defense, Manchester City's Rúben Dias was sidelined by injuries, and Portugal's loss to Spain in the World Cup round of 16 prevented his selection. Internazionale defender Alessandro Bastoni, despite helping his team win the Serie A and Coppa Italia double, was also left out due to Inter's early Champions League exit and Italy's failure to qualify for the World Cup.

Arsenal defender Riccardo Calafiori also failed to make the cut. Bayern Munich midfielder Joshua Kimmich had a chance to return to the shortlist, but Germany's poor World Cup performance saw them eliminated by Paraguay in the round of 16. Trent Alexander-Arnold, who hoped to challenge for the Ballon d'Or after joining Real Madrid, was affected by injuries and exclusion from England's World Cup squad.

In midfield, Enzo Fernández, despite an excellent World Cup performance for Argentina and contributing 15 goals and 7 assists for Chelsea last season, was omitted—likely due to Chelsea's trophyless campaign. Pedri, who ranked 11th in last year's Ballon d'Or, also missed out on this year's 30-man shortlist. As Barcelona's key midfielder, he helped the team win La Liga and the Supercopa de España but gradually lost his starting position during the World Cup.

In attack, Eduardo Camavinga Doué, who ranked 14th last year, was not selected. The Paris Saint-Germain forward was affected by injuries and his form was not as consistent as the previous season.

Bradley Barcola also failed to make the cut. Last season, he scored 11 league goals for Paris Saint-Germain, making him the team's top league scorer, but he suffered an ankle injury during the Champions League run-in, missing the quarter-final first leg and starting from the bench in the remaining matches, including the final.

Mohamed Salah, who ranked 4th in last year's Ballon d'Or, also missed out on this year's shortlist. Although he led Egypt to a historic qualification for the World Cup round of 16, last season was his least productive since joining Liverpool, with only 12 goals and 10 assists across all competitions, and his strained relationship with manager Arne Slot affected his playing time.

Julián Álvarez, who finished 7th in the 2023 Ballon d'Or, also missed out. The Argentine forward scored only 1 goal at the World Cup, and his team was eliminated in the quarter-finals.

Barcelona forward Raphinha was plagued by recurrent muscle injuries, having to leave the second group stage match against Haiti early due to a hamstring injury, and ultimately failing to make the shortlist.