La Roja and Real Madrid Dominate Ballon d'Or Nominations

The Spanish national team and Real Madrid are the dominant forces in the nominations for the Ballon d'Or, which will be awarded on October 28 in Paris. The triumph in the Euro Cup in Germany boosts the squad led by Luis de la Fuente, placing six of its members among the 30 contenders for the most prestigious individual award in the football world: Rodrigo, Carvajal, Lamine Yamal, Nico Williams, Dani Olmo, and Alejandro Grimaldo. Similarly, Real Madrid's Champions League victory on June 1 has been decisive in including six members of its current squad among the finalists for this coveted recognition, including the newly signed Kylian Mbappé and the retired Toni Kroos.

Vinicius, Bellingham, Carvajal, and Rodrigo are seen as major favorites to succeed Leo Messi as Ballon d'Or winners. The first three were crucial in Real Madrid's unforgettable campaign last season, which concluded on June 1 at Wembley when Nacho Fernández lifted the Fifteenth after defeating Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final.

Exactly 43 days after that jubilant night in London, Carvajal celebrated the Euro Cup victory in Berlin as a fundamental pillar of Luis de la Fuente's successful squad. Alongside him was Rodrigo, MVP of the tournament and also a Premier League champion with Manchester City, making him another top contender for an award that has only once been won by a Spanish footballer—the late Luis Suárez in 1960.

No one seems capable of overshadowing this quartet of aces in an edition marked by the Euro Cup and Champions League. Besides Carvajal and Rodrigo, the major European national tournament elevated other La Roja members like Lamine Yamal, who at 17 years old is a first-time Ballon d'Or nominee and a strong favorite for the Kopa Trophy—another accolade to be awarded at the gala on October 28 at Theatre du Chatelet. Should Yamal win, he would follow Jude Bellingham's footsteps and affirm Spanish football's dominance in a trophy previously won by Pedri (2021) and Gavi (2022).

Regarding Real Madrid, the club places three more players among the 30 nominees besides Vinicius, Bellingham, and Carvajal: Fede Valverde, Antonio Rüdiger, and Kylian Mbappé, along with retired Toni Kroos. They will compete with international football stars like Erling Haaland, Phil Foden, Florian Wirtz, and Harry Kane. For the first time since 2003, neither Leo Messi nor Cristiano Ronaldo are among the nominees.

In terms of the Women's Ballon d'Or, Aitana Bonmatí aims to retain her crown received last year from her teammate Alexia Putellas. The Barça midfielder won everything again with her team and despite Spain's disappointment at the Olympics—where they finished fourth—she remains a strong contender for retaining this trophy. Other Spanish contenders include Mariona Caldentey, Patri Guijarro, Salma Paralluelo, and Alexia Putellas. Furthermore, Barça aims to be crowned Women's Club of the Year for a second consecutive time while their former coach Jonatan Giráldez is a candidate for Best Women's Team Coach now at Washington Spirit.

Spanish football is also well-represented in other awards to be presented at the Ballon d'Or gala. In the Yashin Trophy category, Unai Simón translates his excellent Euro Cup performance into a nomination for best goalkeeper. He will compete with other Liga goalkeepers like Ukrainian Andriy Lunin from Real Madrid and Georgian Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia. The exotic note comes from South African Ronwen Williams from Mamelodi Sundowns among the contenders.

Real Madrid also places Arda Güler among Kopa Trophy nominees where he will compete with Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí as well as Brazilian Savinho now with Manchester City formerly Girona.

Additionally, Real Madrid is represented in two more categories: they are favorites for Men's Club of the Year after winning both Champions League and Liga; they will face competition from Girona, Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, and Bayer Leverkusen. Carlo Ancelotti is a candidate for Best Men's Team Coach where his main rival should be Spain’s national team coach Luis de la Fuente with Pep Guardiola, Xabi Alonso, and Lionel Scaloni having fewer chances.

-Men’s Ballon d'Or

-Women’s Ballon d'Or

-Men’s Club of the Year

-Women’s Club of the Year

-Kopa Trophy

-Yashin Trophy

-Best Men’s Team Coach

-Best Women’s Team Coach