Ballon d'Or 2026 ceremony in London on 26 October, with Kane, Mbappé and Yamal among favourites

A first in London

France Football's gala for the 70th Ballon d'Or moves to the London Palladium on Monday, 26 October 2026, a first for the ceremony, which has normally been held in Paris. The organisers said the choice of England honours Stanley Matthews, the first winner in 1956, who played for Blackpool. France Football also said the award will no longer have a fixed venue and could be staged in different cities in the coming years. Zurich hosted the ceremony from 2010 to 2015, when FIFA co-organised the event with the magazine. Start times differ across outlets: two sources give 21:00 in Paris or Swiss time, one gives 20:00 London time, and Romanian outlets print 22:00.

The men's race

Thirty men are on the shortlist, and press reports name Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal as the leading contenders, with Lionel Messi, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé, Rodri and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia also cited as well placed. France Football is keeping the winner secret until the ceremony. Kane has scored 61 goals for Bayern Munich, or 73 if his goals for England, which finished third at the 2026 World Cup, are included. Only Messi has scored more in a single season, with 82 in 2010-2011. Mbappé points to 25 goals in the Spanish league, 15 in the Champions League and 22 at World Cups, including 10 at the 2026 edition, where he is the all-time top scorer. Yamal argues that his Liga and World Cup wins make him deserving, and he says he and Mbappé are the two best players in the world. Kane said he is trying not to think about the award, though he finds that difficult, speaking on Wednesday, 21 October, after his side's 2-2 draw with Arsenal.

The women's race and other awards

Aitana Bonmatí, winner of the last three women's editions, is certain to give up her title after a 2025-2026 season disrupted by a long injury. Thirty women are nominated, including Alexia Putellas, Caroline Graham Hansen, Mapi León, Ewa Pajor, Claudia Pina, Patri Guijarro, Esmée Brugts and Cata Coll, several of whom play for Barcelona. Dembélé won the men's award in 2025. The vote is cast by one journalist from each of the top 100 nations in the FIFA ranking and covers the season from 3 August 2025 to 19 July 2026. The ceremony also hands out prizes for young talent, goalkeeper, coach, club and forward in both the men's and women's categories, plus the Sócrates prize from L'Équipe and Peace and Sport. A separate BOAT (Ballon d'Or of All Time) poll uses public input but carries no physical trophy and no official prize.

Schedule on the night

L'Équipe plans thirteen hours of airtime for the event. Rankings for the 30th to 11th places, for men and women, are set to be revealed from 17:20, before nominees arrive on the red carpet until 19:18. The broadcast red carpet runs from 19:30 to 21:00, and the ceremony is scheduled to run from 21:00 to 22:57 Paris time. Thierry Henry and Kate Scott will host the evening, and the programme includes a tribute to Stanley Matthews.