USMNT Players Have Never Been Nominated for the Ballon d’Or

There’s nothing more glamorous, prestigious and divisive in the soccer world than the Ballon d’Or award.

The honor goes to the best individual men’s and women’s players for their performances across a single season. The biggest names in the sport all hope to one day hear their name called at the annual lavish ceremony, where they receive the golden prize in front of a room of legends.

The men’s Ballon d’Or was first handed out in 1956, while the women’s Ballon d’Or was created in 2018. U.S. women’s national team stars have earned nominations for the latter, with Megan Rapinoe taking home the award in 2019.

But not a single American man has ever made the shortlist for the Ballon d’Or in the 70 years the award has existed.

Rules Roadblocked American Stars of the Past

When the Ballon d’Or was first created, it was limited to just European players. It was not until 1995 that the criteria for the award expanded to include players of any origin—but they still had to be playing for a European club.

The Ballon d’Or did not become a global prize until 2007. Finally, any player competing in any league across the globe was eligible to earn a nomination.

But American players would soon learn it still very much mattered if they were not playing in Europe.

Even the Best American Couldn’t Earn a Nomination

Landon Donovan lives in American soccer folklore. | Alex Livesey/Getty Images

It takes a monumental season to earn a place among the best 30 players in the world. Often, players have to impress for their clubs and countries, especially if there’s an international tournament that season.

But it matters what club you play for. The top scorer in England’s second tier is not equal to a consistent striker in the Premier League. A player shining at a forgotten Ligue 1 club is not equal to an underrated face on Paris Saint-Germain. Captaining a La Liga-winning side is not equal to captaining the reigning MLS Cup winners.

The team and the league a player stars in holds weight, and that is the biggest reason why no American has ever received a Men’s Ballon d’Or nomination.

Landon Donovan, widely regarded as the best American player of all time, found almost all of his success at the San Jose Earthquakes and the LA Galaxy. The forward won a record six MLS Cups, is the third-all time scorer in MLS history and even has an MVP award named after him in the league.

Those achievements, though, do not hold the same weight as a player who won trophies in one of Europe’s top five leagues. A star on European soil has to juggle multiple competitions against the best talent and clubs in the world. In a week’s span, an Arsenal player could have Manchester City, Real Madrid and Liverpool on their match calendar.

Delivering impressive performances against those opponents is simply worth more in the eyes of the voters than delivering impressive performances against Red Bull New York and the New England Revolution. The competition, skill level and stakes are much higher.

Now, MLS players have been nominated for the award before, but only two managed the feat: David Beckham and Lionel Messi. That’s the stature required to get on the shortlist while representing an MLS outfit—and national teams play a role as well.

Confirmed 2026 Shortlists

• Ballon d'Or Nominees (Men’s and Women’s)

• Kopa Trophy Nominees (Men’s and Women’s)

• Yashin Trophy Nominees (Men’s and Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year)

• Club of the Year Nominees (Men’s and Women’s)

• Coach of the Year Nominees (Men’s and Women’s)

The USMNT’s Shortcomings Hurt Potential Nominees

Donovan also had a list of achievements and records for the U.S. men’s national team on his résumé, as did fellow all-time great Clint Dempsey. Both are the USMNT’s all-time leading scorers with 57 goals apiece.

They both lifted their fair share of trophies as well. Donovan won four Gold Cups and Dempsey won three. They each represented the Stars and Stripes on the world stage. Both were named U.S. Soccer Player of the Year multiple times.

But realistically, how many Ballon d’Or voters are watching the Gold Cup? And the ones that did likely did not hold the competition to the same standard as the European Championship and the Copa América. It certainly does not come close to the World Cup.

It’s unfair to minimize the achievements of Donovan and Dempsey, considering just how great they were for the USMNT, especially during a time when the Stars and Stripes never had a squad capable of making a deep run in a top competition. But it is just the reality of the Ballon d’Or voting.

Clint Dempsey, Landon Donovan — Clint Dempsey (left) and Landon Donovan (center) are the two greatest American players ever. | Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

Dempsey even starred for Premier League side Fulham for six seasons and then played for Tottenham Hotspur before returning to MLS, but without club trophies or strong international trophies, it was always going to be an uphill battle for the American to score a nomination.

It’s also important to note that snubs are an unavoidable part of the Ballon d’Or process. Tim Howard, another USMNT legend, shockingly did not earn a place on the shortlist after his heroic performances at the 2014 World Cup. Howard made a record 16 saves in the USMNT’s round of 16 loss to Belgium, and was coming off a season in which he was Everton’s undisputed starter between the posts.

Howard’s outing against Belgium is still largely regarded as the best individual USMNT performance on soccer’s grandest stage—and that entire tournament should have been enough to earn him a nomination. But that’s just how it goes sometimes.

Is a Historic Men’s Ballon d’Or Nomination on the Horizon?

Florian Balogun, Chris Richards — The USMNT put together a strong World Cup this summer. | John Dorton/USSF/Getty Images

The American stars of the current generation have made it a priority to play in Europe, leaving North America behind even if they came up through the ranks at an MLS club.

Gio Reyna got his start at New York City FC before he joined Borussia Dortmund at the first opportunity. Chris Richards represented FC Dallas before he made the switch to Bayern Munich as a teenager. Even up and coming talents like Zavier Gozo and Cavan Sullivan have already pledged their futures to Crystal Palace and Manchester City respectively.

Still, as Dempsey and Howard can attest, simply playing well at a European club does not guarantee a nomination. Christian Pulisic helped Chelsea win the Champions League in 2020–21 and then recorded 53 goal contributions in his first two seasons at AC Milan. It was not enough for the face of the USMNT to earn a nomination.

Perhaps if Pulisic or any other American put together a sensational campaign at the 2026 World Cup and dragged the USMNT to a historic finish, then they could have seen their name on the 30-player shortlist. But the competition is as steep as it’s ever been. Pedri, one of the best midfielders in the world, won La Liga with Barcelona and then the World Cup with Spain and still couldn’t even earn a nomination for the 2026 Ballon d’Or award.

It’s become drastically clear that it will take an unprecedented campaign—one that ends with trophies in Europe or in a major international competition—for an American to score a nomination. Pulisic would have been the obvious choice to earn the historic nod, but the 28-year-old’s stock has declined rapidly in the last year, so much so that he was not even called up for USMNT’s fall friendlies.

Who’s next up, then? Folarin Balogun looked poised to take the big step forward in his career after a meteoric World Cup, but a bit of transfer mayhem sullied the start of his 2026–27 campaign. Malik Tillman is a decent shout, though he is operating largely in Bayer Leverkusen obscurity. Richards, Tyler Adams and Antonee Robinson could all theoretically secure a nomination if their Premier League sides somehow snatch a major trophy—and we’re not talking about the Conference League.

But really, Pulisic remains the player with the biggest stature and highest ceiling. If anyone is going to break through the Ballon d’Or barrier, it likely will be him ... but only if he somehow takes Milan back to the top of Serie A and Europe.

That could take a while, though. The door is open for other talents to steal the bit of history first, but only if they suddenly become a superstar.

That could also take a while.

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