Lionel Messi and World Cup winner Lamine Yamal on 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or nominee list

By Ben Church, CNN (CNN) — It’s that time of year again when the soccer world turns its attention to the Ballon d’Or awards — accolades given to the man and woman deemed to be the best player in the world. The nominees for both categories were released on Tuesday, starting what will be an