NAPLES, Italy (AP) — Napoli and Scotland midfielder Scott McTominay underwent a successful surgical procedure to treat an irregular heartbeat, the Serie A club said Tuesday.
“On Tuesday morning, Scott McTominay underwent an ablation procedure at Spire Manchester Hospital. The operation was a complete success,” Napoli said. “McTominay will rest for two weeks and then resume training.”
Napoli said last week that McTominay would undergo a PFA (pulsed field ablation), which is a minimally invasive technique used to treat heart arrhythmias.
Besides missing several matches for Napoli, including the southern club’s Champions League opener against Arsenal on Wednesday, McTominay will likely miss all four of Scotland’s upcoming Nations League games.
The 29-year-old McTominay was Serie A’s MVP when he helped Napoli win the title in 2025. He played for Scotland at this year’s World Cup.
Before joining Napoli in 2024, McTominay spent his entire career at Manchester United.
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FILE - Napoli's Scott McTominay reacts after a missed opportunity during a Champions League opening phase soccer match between SL Benfica and Napoli in Lisbon, Wednesday, Dec. 10, 2025. (AP Photo/Armando Franca, file)
Last year’s winner Ousmane Dembélé, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé are among the top contenders for the men’s Ballon d’Or.
The 30 men’s and 30 women’s nominees were revealed by France Football magazine on Tuesday, with the winners to be announced at a ceremony in London on Oct. 26.
In the women's field, two-time winner Alexia Putellas, Ewa Pajor and Melchie Dumornay are among the favorites to take over Aitana Bonmatí. The winner of the past three women’s awards, Bonmatí did not make the cut after missing most of the season through injury. She returned at the end of Barcelona’s quadruple-winning season that included another Champions League title.
Dembélé and Mbappé both played for France at the World Cup, where their team lost to eventual champion Spain in the semifinals. Although it's difficult to win the accolade without a major trophy, Mbappé made history when he overtook Lionel Messi for the most all-time World Cup goals (22) in less games.
After claiming a second straight Champions League title with Paris Saint-Germain, Dembélé has a chance to retain the Ballon d'Or.
Kane had one of his best seasons, scoring 73 goals for club and country and winning the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich. Kane also led England to a third-place finish at the World Cup.
The 39-year-old Messi, who has a record eight Ballon d’Or awards, was on the shortlist after guiding Argentina to a runner-up finish at the World Cup and winning Major League Soccer with Inter Miami. The other three Ballon d’Or winners still active, Karim Benzema, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Luka Modric, were not in the list.
Dembélé was one of nine PSG players nominated for the men’s award, including Achraf Hakimi, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, Willian Pacho, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz and Vitinha.
In an interview with France Football, Dembélé said he expects the award to remain at PSG. Asked to name his top three in no particular order, he cited PSG teammate Kvaratskhelia, Kane and Mbappé. He also mentioned Michael Olise, Lamine Yamal, Ruiz and Pacho, but did not include himself.
“I don’t think the trophy is undecided. I think it will remain in the hands of a Paris Saint-Germain player," he said.
The other men’s nominees include Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior, Ferran Torres — who scored Spain's winner in the World Cup final — Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham.
Italy, which did not qualify for the World Cup, and the Netherlands and Germany had no representatives. Only one player from Serie A, Lautaro Martínez of Inter Milan, was selected.
There was no goalkeeper nominated, ensuring Lev Yashin remains the only keeper to win the coveted trophy (1963) for another year.
The Ballon d’Or ceremony is moving from its traditional Paris home to London this year to mark the 70th anniversary of the first award won by England great Stanley Matthews.
The Ballon d’Or was created by France Football and has been awarded since 1956 for men, and since 2018 for women. It is voted for by journalists from the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings for the men’s award and the top 50 FIFA-ranked countries for the women’s award.
Each journalist, one per country, selects players in ranked order with points attributed to each position. The winner is the player who receives the most points. Organizers say the trophy is awarded based on three criteria, in order of importance: 1, individual performances, decisive and impressive character; 2, collective performances and titles won; 3, class and fair play.
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Betis' Diego Llorente, right, challenges Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Betis and Real Madrid in Seville, Spain, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Jose Breton)
Bayern's Harry Kane scores on a penalty kick during the German soccer cup match between VfL Osnabrueck and Bayern Munich in Osnabrueck, Germany, Wednesday, Sept. 2, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
London City Lionesses Alexia Putellas runs with the ball during the Women's Super League soccer match between London City Lionesses and Manchester United in Bromley near London, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
