Ferran Torres, who scored the winning goal for Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final against Argentina, has been nominated for the coveted Ballon d’Or this year. Besides him, Lionel Messi also received his 17th nomination, with the two leading the 30-man Ballon d’Or list revealed on Tuesday. Torres has since joined the Champions League winners, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), and is one of six Spanish World Cup winners, including Rodri and teen sensation Lamine Yamal, to make the cut. Yamal finished second behind France and PSG forward Ousmane Dembele for the ultimate prize last season. &nbsp;Amongst women’s nominations, three-time winner Aitana Bonmatí failed to make the list after breaking her leg midway through the season; however, her former Barcelona teammate Alexia Putellas, who won the women’s Ballon d’Or in 2021 and 2022, is there. &nbsp;Spanish forward Torres also won La Liga with Barcelona in May, but will now team up with Dembele, who is one of nine PSG players on the list, who have also won back-to-back Champions Leagues in the last two years. Torres’s summer move to PSG brings the French champions’ total to 10 nominees.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/champions-league-mourinho-makes-winning-comeback-as-real-madrid-beat-inter-milan-1788922260426">Champions League: Mourinho makes winning comeback as Real Madrid beat Inter Milan</a> &nbsp;However, Fabian Ruiz is the only player to have won the Champions League and World Cup in 2026. Besides them, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and the Portuguese midfield pair of Vitinha and Joao Neves have also been nominated for the top individual prize in all of football this year.<h2>Messi nominated for 17th time</h2>2022 World Cup winner and record eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, Lionel Messi, continued to lead nominations for the 17th time for his prize, while his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo missed out. Messi inspired Argentina to back-to-back World Cup finals before losing to Spain in extra time in what was a lopsided final in New Jersey. &nbsp;Other high-profile names include England captain and talismanic striker Harry Kane, who won the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich. His German club teammate and French playmaker Michael Olise has also been nominated. &nbsp;Real Madrid and England midfield maverick, Jude Bellingham, also earned his nomination for a stellar World Cup, scoring seven goals – as many as Norwegian striker and fellow nominee Erling Haaland’s tally at the tournament. Only Messi (eight) and Kylian Mbappe (10) scored more goals than them. &nbsp;Bellingham’s Madrid teammate Kylian Mbappé also features on the shortlist after becoming the first player to win the World Cup golden boot a second time, while also leading the tournament’s all-time tally. &nbsp;Interestingly, Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper from Cape Verde, who earned recognition for his heroics in his maiden World Cup, has also been nominated for the Yachine Trophy (goalkeeper category).&nbsp; &nbsp;The winners will be announced in a ceremony at the London Palladium Theatre on October 26.

Lionel Messi earns his 17th Ballon d’Or nomination alongside Spain World Cup hero Ferran Torres as the 2026 30-man shortlist is revealed.

Ferran Torres, who scored the winning goal for Spain in the 2026 FIFA World Cup final against Argentina, has been nominated for the coveted Ballon d’Or this year. Besides him, Lionel Messi also received his 17th nomination, with the two leading the 30-man Ballon d’Or list revealed on Tuesday. Torres has since joined the Champions League winners, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), and is one of six Spanish World Cup winners, including Rodri and teen sensation Lamine Yamal, to make the cut. Yamal finished second behind France and PSG forward Ousmane Dembele for the ultimate prize last season. Amongst women’s nominations, three-time winner Aitana Bonmatí failed to make the list after breaking her leg midway through the season; however, her former Barcelona teammate Alexia Putellas, who won the women’s Ballon d’Or in 2021 and 2022, is there. Spanish forward Torres also won La Liga with Barcelona in May, but will now team up with Dembele, who is one of nine PSG players on the list, who have also won back-to-back Champions Leagues in the last two years. Torres’s summer move to PSG brings the French champions’ total to 10 nominees. Also read| Champions League: Mourinho makes winning comeback as Real Madrid beat Inter Milan However, Fabian Ruiz is the only player to have won the Champions League and World Cup in 2026. Besides them, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and the Portuguese midfield pair of Vitinha and Joao Neves have also been nominated for the top individual prize in all of football this year. Messi nominated for 17th time 2022 World Cup winner and record eight-time Ballon d’Or winner, Lionel Messi, continued to lead nominations for the 17th time for his prize, while his long-time rival Cristiano Ronaldo missed out. Messi inspired Argentina to back-to-back World Cup finals before losing to Spain in extra time in what was a lopsided final in New Jersey. Other high-profile names include England captain and talismanic striker Harry Kane, who won the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich. His German club teammate and French playmaker Michael Olise has also been nominated. Real Madrid and England midfield maverick, Jude Bellingham, also earned his nomination for a stellar World Cup, scoring seven goals – as many as Norwegian striker and fellow nominee Erling Haaland’s tally at the tournament. Only Messi (eight) and Kylian Mbappe (10) scored more goals than them. Bellingham’s Madrid teammate Kylian Mbappé also features on the shortlist after becoming the first player to win the World Cup golden boot a second time, while also leading the tournament’s all-time tally. Interestingly, Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper from Cape Verde, who earned recognition for his heroics in his maiden World Cup, has also been nominated for the Yachine Trophy (goalkeeper category). The winners will be announced in a ceremony at the London Palladium Theatre on October 26.

Lionel Messi earns his 17th Ballon d’Or nomination alongside Spain World Cup hero Ferran Torres as the 2026 30-man shortlist is revealed.

Ballon d’Or 2026 Nominees: World Cup finalists Lionel Messi and Ferran Torres shortlisted

Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper from Cape Verde, captured the world's attention following a string of historic performances for the World Cup debutants. Not only did he deny teams like Spain and Saudi Arabia the chance to score against Cape Verde, but he also made the defending champions Argentina wait for a win until the very end. His miraculous efforts earned him praise from across the globe and from Lionel Messi, who hugged him after their Round of 32 match, which Argentina won 3-2.&nbsp;Although Vozinha conceded three goals against Messi’s Argentina, he did his best to deny them several more. Messi, who was upbeat about increasing his already leading tally (7) throughout the game, failed to breach Vozinha’s defence at least on two more occasions. He, however, contributed with a direct pass from the corner, which was converted into the winning goal.&nbsp;Also read| <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/venezuela-earthquake-2026-lionel-messi-shares-heartfelt-message-after-toll-nears-3000-argentina-vs-cape-verde-fifa-world-cup-2026-1783165528232">Venezuela Earthquake: Lionel Messi shares heartfelt message after toll nears 3,000</a> &nbsp;This pulsating Round of 32 fixture had everything – drama, action, goals, a comeback and a perfect ending, but the moment wasn’t even captured on camera -- a hug between two match winners. &nbsp;While Vozinha took to his social media handles to thank his fans and everyone involved for making Cape Verde the story of this tournament, he also revealed what Messi said to him. &nbsp;"I went up to Messi after the game. He hugged me and said, 'You are great. Your people should be proud of you.' That was incredible for me," Vozinha revealed while recalling the emotional meeting between the two. &nbsp;"Hearing words like that from someone like Leo Messi means a lot to me. I thanked him and said, 'Thank you, Leo. You are the best,' Vozinha added.

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The Cape Verde captain also revealed that he asked Messi for his shirt. &nbsp;"I asked if we could swap shirts. Leo said he was going to give it to me in the tunnel after the interviews," he recalled. "Moments like these remain engraved in your heart forever." &nbsp;The two teams, however, will walk different paths. While Argentina qualified for the Round of 16, where they will face Egypt for a spot in the World Cup quarterfinals, Cape Verde will exit the tournament with their heads held high.

Cape Verde keeper Vozinha reveals what Lionel Messi told him during their emotional post-match embrace after Argentina's dramatic 3-2 World Cup win.

Vozinha, the 40-year-old goalkeeper from Cape Verde, captured the world's attention following a string of historic performances for the World Cup debutants. Not only did he deny teams like Spain and Saudi Arabia the chance to score against Cape Verde, but he also made the defending champions Argentina wait for a win until the very end. His miraculous efforts earned him praise from across the globe and from Lionel Messi, who hugged him after their Round of 32 match, which Argentina won 3-2. Although Vozinha conceded three goals against Messi’s Argentina, he did his best to deny them several more. Messi, who was upbeat about increasing his already leading tally (7) throughout the game, failed to breach Vozinha’s defence at least on two more occasions. He, however, contributed with a direct pass from the corner, which was converted into the winning goal. Also read| Venezuela Earthquake: Lionel Messi shares heartfelt message after toll nears 3,000 This pulsating Round of 32 fixture had everything – drama, action, goals, a comeback and a perfect ending, but the moment wasn’t even captured on camera -- a hug between two match winners. While Vozinha took to his social media handles to thank his fans and everyone involved for making Cape Verde the story of this tournament, he also revealed what Messi said to him. "I went up to Messi after the game. He hugged me and said, 'You are great. Your people should be proud of you.' That was incredible for me," Vozinha revealed while recalling the emotional meeting between the two. "Hearing words like that from someone like Leo Messi means a lot to me. I thanked him and said, 'Thank you, Leo. You are the best,' Vozinha added.

Cape Verde keeper Vozinha reveals what Lionel Messi told him during their emotional post-match embrace after Argentina's dramatic 3-2 World Cup win.

‘Messi hugged me said…,’ Cape Verde goalkeeper Vozinha reveals chat with Argentine superstar

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Ballon d’Or 2026 Nominees: World Cup finalists Lionel Messi and Ferran Torres shortlisted

‘Messi hugged me and said…’: Vozinha reveals post-match chat with ARG superstar