Real Madrid have seen four of their players listed among the nominees for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, but some will feel that another three Galácticos could have been put forward for the prize.
Kylian Mbappé, Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham are all well placed to win the award while summer signing Marc Cucurella is also in it to win it for his exploits with Chelsea and Spain during the 2025/26 season. Thibaut Courtois has been nominated for the Yashin Trophy,, with former Femenino midfielder Caroline Weir among the candidates for the Ballon d'Or Féminin.
While there is plenty of acknowledgement for Real Madrid across the awards, some will feel that these three players could have joined their teammates in the battle for one of football's most prestigious awards.
Three Real Madrid players unfortunate to miss out on a Ballon d'Or nomination
Aurélien Tchouaméni
Aurélien Tchouaméni was a key player for Real Madrid last season, making 49 appearances across all competitions, with 33 of those coming in La Liga and 13 in the Champions League.
He also played four times for France at the World Cup, including featuring for 90 minutes in their 2-0 defeat to Spain in the semi-finals, as he couldn't influence his side's luck, ending their hopes of winning a third title.
It was the same story for Tchouaméni at club level too, as despite putting in several impressive performances in midfield, as well as filling in at centre back, he struggled to help Real Madrid taste victory, meaning they ended the 2025/26 campaign trophyless.
Bernardo Silva
Okay, Bernardo Silva is one of two players on this list who didn't play for Real last season, but Los Blancos' lack of success means it is slim pickings away from those who have already been nominated for the award.
In his final campaign with Manchester City, Silva captained them to a domestic cup double, winning both the FA Cup and Carabao Cup with victories over Chelsea and Arsenal, respectively, and also came close to a treble, but ultimately losing out to the latter for the Premier League title.
He played 53 games for City over the course of the season, but Portugal's disappointing World Cup campaign, which saw Silva appear four times on his nation's way to being knocked out in the round of 16 may have been a huge factor in him not being nominated in a likely final chance to win the Ballon d'Or.
Denzel Dumfries
Denzel Dumfries spent the 2025/26 term with Inter Milan and it proved to be his final season with the club as he bid farewell to join Real Madrid in the summer.
He appeared in 28 games throughout the campaign with Inter as they won an historic domestic double with victory in Serie A and the Coppa Italia, but injuries prevented him from having a major impact on the successes.
Dumfries did recover in time to play the entirety of the Netherlands' four games at the World Cup, but their disappointing exit in the round of 32 to Morocco likely wouldn't have helped his Ballon d'Or chances in the slightest.
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