Arsenal’s three nominees give the Gunners a historic Ballon d’Or push

Arsenal have secured three nominations for the 2026 Ballon d’Or – Declan Rice, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes – after their pivotal roles in the Gunners’ 2025‑26 Premier League triumph, giving the club its strongest representation in the award’s history to date.

2026 nominations after title win

Declan Rice, William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes have all been nominated for the 2026 Ballon d’Or. Their nominations come after each played a decisive part in Arsenal’s 2025‑26 Premier League title. The trio will be hoping the historic achievement translates into a top‑place finish among the Gunners’ highest ever Ballon d’Or rankings.

Arsenal have never produced a Ballon d’Or winner, despite fielding a host of legendary figures over the decades. The club’s lack of a winner makes the current trio’s nominations especially significant. It marks the strongest representation the Gunners have ever enjoyed in the award’s history.

Other Arsenal nominees include Mesut Ozil, who finished sixteenth in 2013, Martin Odegaard, nineteenth in 2024, Pierre‑Emerick Aubameyang, twentieth in 2019, and David Seaman, also twentieth in 1996.

Further entries are Bukayo Saka (twenty‑first 2024), Andrei Arshavin (twenty‑first 2009), David O’Leary (twenty‑second 1980), Nwankwo Kanu and Marc Overmars (both twenty‑third in 1999 and 1998), William Saliba (twenty‑fourth 2024), Declan Rice (twenty‑sixth 2024), Robin van Persie (thirtieth 2007) and Ian Wright (thirty‑second 1995).

Arsenal’s historic Ballon d’Or rankings

Patrick Vieira remains Arsenal’s most celebrated midfielder, yet his only Ballon d’Or nomination came in 2002 when he finished fifteenth after helping the Gunners secure the Premier League and FA Cup double. Ironically, he received no votes during the Invincibles season of 2003‑04 despite captaining the side. Vieira’s best personal placing was fourteenth in 2006 while representing Inter Milan, a year in which he also featured in France’s World Cup final run.

John Jensen earned a single nomination in 1992, finishing fourteenth after arriving from Denmark and scoring in his country’s shock Euro final victory over Germany. He later reflected that many Arsenal fans expected a goalscoring midfielder, a role he felt he did not fulfil. Jensen’s brief but memorable spell still secured him a place in the club’s Ballon d’Or history.

Emmanuel Petit’s sole nomination arrived in 1998 when he placed twelfth after an extraordinary debut season at Arsenal. Signed from Monaco and converted into a midfielder by Arsène Wenger, he helped the Gunners claim the Premier League and FA Cup double. Petit capped that year by winning the World Cup on home soil, scoring France’s third goal in the final against Brazil.

Past nominees and their standout seasons

Emmanuel Adebayor achieved his only nomination in 2008, finishing twelfth after netting twenty‑four Premier League goals in 2007‑08 and leading Arsenal’s title challenge. The Togolese striker also collected the African Footballer of the Year award that season. His prolific output highlighted the under‑representation of African players in Ballon d’Or voting.

Jens Lehmann’s lone nomination came in 2006 when he finished tenth, following a season that saw him keep a record eight consecutive Champions League clean sheets and become the first player sent off in a final. The German’s performances for Arsenal and Germany earned him the sole Ballon d’Or nod, despite his earlier Invincibles campaign not reaching the shortlist.

Alexis Sanchez finished tenth in the 2015 Ballon d’Or after playing a key role in Chile’s back‑to‑back Copa America triumphs and guiding Arsenal to FA Cup glory in his debut campaign. His sensational years at the Emirates cemented his place among the Gunners’ highest‑ranked nominees.