The Albany Gazette - World Cup final scorer Torres leads Ballon d'Or nominees

The 26-year-old who has since joined Paris Saint-Germain is one of six Spanish World Cup winners on the list, alongside 2024 laureate Rodri and last year's runner-up Lamine Yamal.

In the women's section, three-time winner Aitana Bonmati did not make the shortlist after breaking her leg midway through the season, but her former Barcelona team-mate Alexia Putellas, the winner in 2021 and 2022 and now a London City Lionesses player, is there.

Torres also won La Liga with Barcelona in May but is now teaming up with last year's Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele at PSG.

France international Dembele is one of nine PSG team-mates on the list to have won the Champions League in each of the last two years.

With Torres having joined the club, that makes it 10 current PSG players in total on the list.

Among them, Fabian Ruiz is the only player to have won the Champions League and World Cup in 2026.

Flying Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was one of the stars of PSG's successful Champions League defence, alongside Portuguese midfield pair Vitinha and Joao Neves, and all three are nominated.

- Messi in for 17th time -

Eight-time Ballon d'Or winner Lionel Messi received his 17th nomination, but his eternal rival Cristiano Ronaldo did not make the cut this time.

Messi helped inspire an ill-disciplined Argentina to the World Cup final, where they took almost 120 minutes to muster their first shot against Spain in a one-sided final.

England captain Harry Kane, who won the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich, is included as is his French team-mate and wing wizard Michael Olise.

Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham earned his nomination with an impressive World Cup for England, scoring seven goals -- matching Erling Haaland's tally and beaten only by Messi (eight) and Kylian Mbappe, on 10.

Mbappe is there, after becoming the first player to win the World Cup golden boot a second time, while also scorching to the top of the tournament's all-time record scorer list.

Yamal is also nominated in for the Young Talent award, which he has won the last two years.

Vozinha, the 40-year-old who was one of the heroes of Cape Verde's fairytale World Cup run, has made the goalkeeper list.

Barcelona will also have a handful of contenders for the women's award.

Putellas is one of seven players who won the women's Champions League with the club in May to be on the list, including Poland's Ewa Pajor, who scored a brace in the 4-0 final victory over Lyon.

Three of the men's nominees play outside Europe. Messi is a MLS franchise Inter Miami and Sadio Mane and Julian Quinones play in Saudi Arabia.

The women's award spreads its net a little wider. Zambian Barbra Banda, who plays for Orlando Pride in South Africa, Mexican Scarlett Camberos who plays in her native country and Malawian Temwa Chawinga amd American Rose Lavelle, who play in the NWSL, on the list.

The winners will be announced in a ceremony at the London Palladium Theatre on October 26.

(P.Clark--TAG)