Scott McTominay and Caroline Weir confirmed as Ballon d'Or nominees as Scotland stars battle glittering cast

McTominay, 28, was an integral part of the Napoli team that pipped Internazionale to the Serie A title last season. He scored 12 goals - including a bicycle kick in the match that clinched the Scudetto - and provided six assists in his first campaign in Naples after leaving Manchester United last summer.

As a result, McTominay has become a darling of the Napoli support and his performances for Gli Azzurri has not gone unnoticed globally, with the midfielder part of the 30-man shortlist for the Ballon d’Or.

It is the first time in 38 years that a Scottish football has been nominated, when Ally McCoist was part of the shortlist in 1987 due to his form as a striker with Rangers.

Weir, meanwhile, scored ten goals and provided eight assists in 26 appearances for Real Madrid last season as Los Blancos finished second in La Liga F in Spain. She is the first Scot to ever be nominated for the Ballon d'Or Féminin, which was incepted in 2018.

Her run of form in the Spanish capital has been made even more impressive given she was out for nine months with an ACL injury. Among the contenders for her award include five of England’s European Championship-winning squad in captain Leah Williamson, Lucy Bronze, Chloe Kelly, Alessia Russo and Hannah Hampton.

Law only Scot to win Ballon d’Or

Denis Law remains the only Scot to have won the Ballon d’Or after he was crowned the world’s greatest footballer in 1964 after scoring 46 goals in a single season for Manchester United, while Kenny Dalglish finished runner-up in 1983 after winning a league and cup double with Liverpool.

Jim Baxter, Jimmy Johnstone, Billy Bremner, Graeme Souness, Gordon Strachan and Steve Archibald are among the Scots who have received Ballon d'Or nominations over the years.

Despite his phenomenal season with Napoli, McTominay remains one of the outsiders to land the Ballon d’Or. He is up against a star-studded cast, including a number of players from the Champions League winners PSG, as well as Liverpool’s Mo Salah and Barcelona wonderkid Lamine Yamal.

The Ballon d’Or is an annual award presented by French magazine France Football since 1956 to honour the player deemed to have performed the best over the previous season. Manchester City midfielder Rodri claimed the title last season with Luka Modric and Karim Benzema the only two other winners outside of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi since 2008.

The voting for the Ballon d’Or is conducted by 100 journalists from the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations. Each journalist selects their preferred optoon and also picks someone for the Yashin Trophy, which recognises the best goalkeeper.

The Ballon d’Or and Ballon d'Or Féminin awards ceremony will take place at Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, France on Monday, September 22.

Ballon d’Or nominees full list

Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid), Ousmane Dembele (PSG), Gianluigi Donnarumma (PSG), Desire Doue (PSG), Denzel Dumfries (Internazionale), Serhou Guirassy (Borussia Dortmund), Viktor Gyokeres (Arsenal), Erling Haaland (Man City, Achraf Hakimi (PSG), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG), Robert Lewandowski (Barcelona), Alexis Mac Allister (Liverpool), Lautaro Marintez (Internazionale), Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid), Scott McTominay (Napoli), Nuno Mendes (PSG), Joao Neves (PSG), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Cole Palmer (Chelsea), Pedri (Barcelona), Raphinha (Barcelona), Declan Rice (Arsenal), Fabian Ruiz (PSG), Mo Salah (Liverpool), Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid), Vitinha (PSG), Florian Wirtz (Liverpool), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona).

Ballon d'Or Féminin nominees full list

Lucy Bronze (Chelsea), Klara Buhl (Bayern Munich), Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal), Sofia Cantore (Juventus), Steph Catley (Arsenal), Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City Current), Melchie Dumornay (Lyon), Emily Fox (Arsenal), Cristiana Girelli (Juventus), Esther Gonzalez (Gotham), Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona), Patri Guijarro (Barcelona), Amanda Gutierres (Palmeiras), Hannah Hampton (Chelsea), Pernille Harder (Bayern Munich), Lindsey Heaps (Lyon), Chloe Kelly (Arsenal), Frida Maanum (Arsenal), Clara Mateo (Paris FC), Marta (Orlando Pride), Ewa Pajor (Barcelona), Claudia Pina (Barcelona), Alexia Putellas (Barcelona), Alessia Russo (Arsenal), Johanna Rytting Kaneryd (Chelsea), Caroline Weir (Real Madrid), Leah Williamson (Arsenal).