The 2026 Ballon d'Or winners are set to be decided, with plenty of big names in contention

Cesc Fabregas once got his Ballon d'Or prediction wildly wrong after making a late U-turn. The former Arsenal and Barcelona star is one of the hottest young coaches after leading Italian minnows Como into the Champions League for the first time.

But the Spaniard is not quite as on the ball when it comes to predictions. Take 2022, when he named three attacking players as his favourites for the Ballon d'Or before making a late addition to his personal short-list.

Ahead of the Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid in Paris, Fabregas took to social media to name his Ballon d'Or contenders. He posted: "Not a big fan of individual trophies like that but surely the Ballon d'Or could/should be decided tonight? [Sadio] Mane? [Mohamed] Salah? [Karim] Benzema?"

After the match, Fabregas revised his opinion by adding Real keeper Thibaut Courtois to his list after the Belgian added a Champions League medal to the La Liga title. He said: "I would add and most probably give it to Courtois. Insane season."

However, that suggestion proved wide of the mark as Courtois finished seventh in the standings. One of Fabregas' original picks, Benzema, took the crown instead

Despite seeing one of his team-mates pick up the accolade, Courtois wasn't happy, insisting it was "impossible" for a goalkeeper to win the biggest individual prize in world football.

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He said: "I see the Ballon d'Or as impossible to win. You win La Liga and you win the Champions League, your team wins thanks to your saves... and you only finish 7th. At least they created the trophy for best goalkeeper."

Courtois did at least win the Lev Yashin Trophy, given to the best goalkeeper. He presumably won't be happy about the fact that no goalkeeper has made the final 30-man shortlist for this year's main award, which will be announced on Monday night.

However, Courtois, still of Real Madrid, is among the contenders to win the Yashin Trophy again. The list also features Arsenal stopper David Raya and Spain number one Joan Garcia.

The awards, first created by the French magazine France Football in 1956, have traditionally been held in Paris, but will be hosted at London's Palladium Theatre to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the individual accolade, first won by Sir Stanley Matthews in 1956.