10 Ballon d'Or Winners in 2026 World Cup Semi-Finals

Messi won his eighth Ballon d'Or in 2023 because Argentina won the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup semi-finals will have 10 players who have won the Ballon d'Or or other awards from the annual Ballon d'Or event.

The four semi-final teams, France, Spain, Argentina, and England, have winners of the Ballon d'Or, Yashin Trophy, Kopa Trophy, and Gerd Müller Trophy.

Spain will play France in the first semi-final on Tuesday. Argentina will face England on Wednesday for a spot in the final.

Three former Ballon d'Or winners are still in the hunt for the World Cup title.

They include Argentina's captain Lionel Messi, who has won the award eight times, Spain's Rodri, and France's Ousmane Dembélé.

Argentina's goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, a two-time Yashin Trophy winner, is the only player still in the tournament who has won the award for the best goalkeeper.

The semi-finals also have four Kopa Trophy winners. This trophy goes to the best player under 21.

The Kopa winners are Spain’s Lamine Yamal, Pedri, and Gavi, along with England's Jude Bellingham.

France's captain Kylian Mbappé and England's striker Harry Kane, who shared the 2024 Gerd Müller Trophy for the best goalscorer, also make the list.

Here is the full list of Ballon d'Or winners in the 2026 World Cup semi-finals:

Ballon d'Or

Lionel Messi (Argentina), Winner in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, and 2023

Rodri (Spain), Winner in 2024

Ousmane Dembélé (France), Winner in 2025

Yashin Trophy

Emiliano Martínez (Argentina), Winner in 2023 and 2024

Kopa Trophy

Lamine Yamal (Spain), Winner in 2024 and 2025

Jude Bellingham (England), Winner in 2023

Pedri (Spain), Winner in 2021

Gavi (Spain), Winner in 2022

Gerd Müller Trophy

Kylian Mbappé (France), Joint winner in 2024

Harry Kane (England), Joint winner in 2024

The winners of the Spain-France match on Tuesday and the Argentina-England match on Wednesday will move on to the 2026 FIFA World Cup final.