Lamine Yamal back in the running for 2026 Onze d’Or after World Cup triumph

Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal has been nominated for the Onze d’Or for a second successive year, renewing his contest with holders Ousmane Dembele for the fan-voted award presented by French magazine Onze Mondial.

Yamal finished runner-up to Dembele in 2025, missing out by just 2.5% of the vote. The 19-year-old also placed second to the Frenchman in the Ballon d’Or standings, leaving him within one step of both major individual honours.

After an exceptional season that ended with Yamal winning the World Cup, he is now regarded as being closer than ever to securing the prize and ending his run of second-place finishes.

Unlike the Ballon d’Or, which is decided by journalists, the Onze d’Or is awarded through an open public vote on the Onze Mondial website. Yamal’s popularity among Barcelona supporters and fans of attacking football could give him a significant advantage in the online poll.

Supporters can vote for their preferred player through the French magazine’s website.

Onze Mondial has named 11 candidates for the 2026 award. Dembele, the reigning winner, leads the list, while Yamal returns as last year’s runner-up.

The other nominees are Georgia and Paris Saint-Germain forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, France and Bayern Munich attacker Michael Olise, England striker Harry Kane, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Joao Neves, Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe, Arsenal defender William Saliba, Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Vitinha and Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice.

The winner will be determined entirely by votes from the public on the magazine’s website.

The Onze d’Or was first awarded in 1976, when the Netherlands international Rob Rensenbrink became its inaugural winner. Its history has since become closely associated with Barcelona, with Lionel Messi the competition’s most successful player after claiming the award four times.

Several other former Barcelona greats have also featured prominently among the winners. Diego Maradona, Thierry Henry and Ronaldo Nazario each won twice, while Ronaldinho, Hristo Stoichkov, Antoine Griezmann and Dembele have each taken the honour once.

Barcelona’s presence extends beyond the players’ award in the 2026 Onze Mondial voting. Six managers are in contention for the prize for the year, including former Barcelona coaches Luis Enrique and Unai Emery.

The Catalan club also has a strong record in that category. Pep Guardiola has won the coaching award three times, while Johan Cruyff claimed it twice and Frank Rijkaard was recognised once.

Barcelona will have further representation in the vote for the ideal team of 2026, with three of its players nominated: Pau Cubarsi, Pedri and Yamal.

They continue a tradition established by previous Barcelona selections including Messi, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Jordi Alba, Ronald Araujo and Samuel Umtiti.