Kate Scott and Thierry Henry to host Ballon d'Or gala at London Palladium

The ceremony

The Ballon d'Or gala, through which France Football honours the best player in the world, is set for Monday, 26 October 2026 at the London Palladium. It is described as the 70th edition of the award and the first time the ceremony will be held in the English capital. Thierry Henry and Kate Scott will present the evening together. The shortlist named in the previews includes Lamine Yamal, Leo Messi, Harry Kane, Ousmane Dembelé and Erling Haaland, and the candidates will learn the decision in the coming hours. Other players and coaches on the list are also waiting to hear their names.

Several articles link the award to Real Madrid's Clásico win over Barcelona, in which Kylian Mbappé scored twice. Many Madrid supporters see that match as a possible preview of an award for the French forward, and they expect him to take the trophy.

Kate Scott's career

Kate Scott, a British journalist born in Manchester, will present the gala for the fourth time, after the editions of 2014, 2015 and 2025. She co-hosted the 2025 ceremony with Ruud Gullit. She was previously known as Kate Abdo, and her birth name was Kate Giles.

Her career started in Germany at Deutsche Welle, which she joined in 2005, and she moved to CNN in 2009. Later roles included Sky Sports, Fox Sports and CBS Sports. Her CBS coverage of the UEFA Champions League began in 2020, and the programme has become must-watch viewing for millions of people. She speaks English, French, Spanish and German.

1. 2005Joins Deutsche Welle in Germany
2. 2009Moves to CNN
3. 2020Begins Champions League coverage on CBS

Spain, boxing and family life

Scott moved to Málaga at the age of 17, where she finished the Bachillerato and began studying Translation and Interpreting at the Universidad de Málaga. She also studied European languages at the University of Salford. Her contact with professional boxing led her to her husband, former American boxer Malik Scott. The couple married in Malibu in 2024. In an Instagram post, she thanked him for changing her life and wrote that she wanted to love, sing, dance and laugh with him forever.

Co-hosts and broadcast

Henry will share the stage with Scott, and the two already work together on the CBS Sports programme UCL Today, where she presents and he works as an analyst. Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards complete the panel. Their chemistry has made the programme a social media favourite. In Spain, the gala will be shown on Movistar Plus+ from 21:00.