Harry Kane, Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice have been named among the 30 men's nominees for this year's Ballon d'Or, while Alessia Russo and Alex Greenwood feature on the women's shortlist, France Football magazine announced on Tuesday. The awards matter as English football enjoys a strong showing following a successful World Cup and domestic season, with the winners to be announced at a ceremony in London on 26 October, moving from its traditional Paris venue to mark the award's 70th anniversary.

Kane is favourite for the men's award after scoring a club-record 61 goals in 51 games for Bayern Munich and six at the World Cup, while Lamine Yamal and Rodri are also strongly fancied. Defending champion Ousmane Dembélé and Kylian Mbappé, who broke the all-time World Cup goalscoring record with 22, are also nominated, alongside Lionel Messi. In the women's competition, three-time winner Aitana Bonmatí misses out after an injury-hit season, leaving Alexia Putellas, Ewa Pajor and Melchie Dumornay among the favourites, while Russo (24 goals in 40 appearances) and Manchester City's Greenwood are also in contention.