Saliba finishes 29th in Ballon d'Or rankings as Gabriel and Rice also placed
William Saliba finished joint-29th in the 2026 Ballon d'Or rankings, a result that sparked considerable frustration among Arsenal supporters online. The French centre back was one of three Arsenal players on this year's 30 man shortlist, alongside Gabriel Magalhaes and Declan Rice, after a season in which Arsenal won their first Premier League title in more than two decades and reached a first Champions League final since 2006.
Saliba was placed joint-29th alongside former Liverpool forward Sadio Mane, who now plays for Al-Nassr in the Saudi Pro League. Gabriel finished 21st, while Rice was ranked 15th, the highest of the three Arsenal players.
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Arsenal's run to the Champions League final ended in heartbreak, with Mikel Arteta's side losing 4-3 on penalties to Paris Saint-Germain following a 1-1 draw.
How Saliba's nomination was explained
Explaining his inclusion on the shortlist, the Ballon d'Or's official website described Saliba as “the cornerstone of Arsenal's title success, their first for 22 years” and praised “William's lethal combination of elegant and robust defending” which “helped Arsenal procure 26 clean sheets last season.”
It added: “This is the French star's second Ballon d'Or nomination. He was born in Bondy, France, the same hometown as fellow French star Kylian Mbappe, where both were coached at AS Bondy by Kylian's father.”
Fan reaction
The rankings were met with strong criticism from Arsenal supporters on social media, many of whom felt the trio's performances had been undervalued relative to other nominees. One fan wrote: “All seriously underrated. Particularly right now Rice and Gabriel are the best in their positions in the world.”
Another supporter questioned the comparison with a Chelsea defender, writing: “Cucurella better than Big Gabi and Willo is a joke.” A third added: “This is a big disrespect to our players. Ballon d'Or only favours Spanish players or players that plays outside the Prem. How can you tell me Declan Rice is 15th and Saliba 29th?? What a joke.”
Another fan singled out the placement of a forward above Saliba in the rankings, writing: “Are you guys kidding me.... How the hell is a Mexican striker ahead of Saliba and how is the best CB duo in Europe not in top 15, jokes. And you're here celebrating it like we weren't clearly robbed, lol.”
The full Ballon d'Or ceremony was held in London on Monday evening, with the rankings published in the hours beforehand, as reported by football.london.
Saliba's second Ballon d'Or nomination arrives on the back of a title winning campaign, and both he and Gabriel will be expected to continue forming the backbone of Arsenal's defence as the club looks to build on last season's domestic success.
