Ballon d’Or shortlist shows up Premier League’s attacking failings - but tide could be turning

Bruno Fernandes, Erling Haaland, Cole Palmer and Mateus Fernandes: English top flight’s forwards are not well represented on the list, reflecting a season of set-piece grapple, but 2026-27 already looks brighter Premier League representation is low when it comes to the 16 attacking players on this year’s Ballon d’Or shortlist . Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland are there but Cole Palmer, one of the nominees in 2025, is out after an injury-hit year and English football’s shift towards physicality and set pieces last season is summed up by none of the forwards from the best team in the country making the cut. this year’s Ballon d’Or shortlist Aggregated from Guardian Football, The Guardian.

Sources

1. Ballon d’Or shortlist shows up Premier League’s attacking failings - but tide could be turning Guardian Football
2. this year’s Ballon d’Or shortlist The Guardian