Several Premier League players have been named among the nominees for the 2026 Ballon d’Or, with Opta statistics emphasising their notable performances during the 2025/26 season.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes set a new Premier League record by providing 22 assists in the 2025/26 campaign. Additionally, he created 142 chances across Europe’s top five leagues, the highest figure recorded by any player, according to Opta.
Stay connected
Make The News Mill your preferred source
See more TNM stories when you search for news on Google.
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland achieved 100 Premier League goals in December 2025, reaching the milestone in only 111 appearances. He scored 38 goals in 52 appearances across all competitions for City in the 2025/26 season.
Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães kept 17 clean sheets in the Premier League, surpassing all other defenders in the league during the campaign. He also recorded 24 clean sheets across all competitions for Arsenal.
His Arsenal teammate William Saliba completed 67 passes per 90 minutes in the Premier League, the highest rate among Arsenal players throughout the season. Arsenal won 71% of the matches in which Saliba featured, compared with 57% in games without him.
Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice contributed five goals and nine assists across all competitions in 2025/26. He created 96 chances, the most by any English player across Europe’s top five leagues and competitions.
The nominees also include Rodri, reflecting his statistics from the 2025/26 season with Manchester City, and Marc Cucurella, whose campaign included performances for Chelsea. Their inclusion highlights the significant contributions of players with Premier League ties in this year’s nominations.
These statistics underline the diverse range of performances recognised among the nominees, from Fernandes’ record-breaking creativity and Haaland’s goalscoring achievements to Arsenal’s defensive solidity and Rice’s midfield influence.
