Inter Milan official announcement: Lautaro Martinez has been nominated for the Ballon d'Or 30-man shortlist for the 5th time, the 3rd most in the club's history.

According to Inter Milan's official website, French football has announced the 30-man shortlist for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, with Lautaro Martinez among the nominees.

The Ballon d'Or will celebrate its 70th anniversary in 2026. To commemorate this milestone, the awards ceremony will be held for the first time at the Paradion Theatre in London, paying tribute to the inaugural winner, Stanley Matthews, in 1956. The ceremony is scheduled for October 26. The shortlist was drawn up by the editorial teams of France Football and L'Équipe, and overseen by two international football figures: 2000 Ballon d'Or winner Luis Figo, and UEFA ambassador Fabio Capello. Selection criteria include individual performance, team achievements, sportsmanship, and fair play.

This also means that the Inter Milan captain has received his fifth Ballon d'Or nomination. Lautaro was ranked 21st in 2021, 20th in 2023, 7th in 2024, and 20th in 2025. Lautaro's inclusion in the 30-man shortlist is thanks to his outstanding performance last season: he won the Serie A and Coppa Italia titles with Inter Milan, and was the Serie A top scorer with 17 goals. His excellent performance for Argentina at the World Cup also contributed to this nomination. Lautaro scored 3 goals, including the winning goal in the semi-final against England, helping Argentina advance to the final, where they faced Spain in New York.

Lautaro Martinez's fifth nomination marks another significant milestone in his career. The Inter Milan captain now holds the third-most Ballon d'Or nominations in Inter's history, behind only Sandro Mazzola and Giacinto Facchetti, who have received nine and eight nominations respectively. Luis Suarez, Lothar Matthäus, and Ronaldo follow closely behind with four nominations each. For the fourth consecutive year, Lautaro has been shortlisted for the award, equaling the previous record set by Luis Suarez, Giacinto Facchetti, and Lothar Matthäus in Inter's history. Only Mazzola has achieved a better record, with all nine of his nominations coming in consecutive years.