2026 Ballon d'Or Ceremony Scheduled for Monday in London

The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony is scheduled for Monday, October 26, 2026, at the London Palladium in England. The main event is set to begin at 8 p.m. local time, or 4 p.m. ET, with the red-carpet arrivals commencing approximately 90 minutes prior. This marks the first time in the history of the 70-year-old award that the gala will be held in the United Kingdom.

Established in 1956 by the French magazine France Football, the Ballon d'Or recognizes the finest individual soccer players on the planet. The upcoming gala features one of the most open fields in recent memory for both the men's and women's accolades. Top contenders for the men's honor include Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane, and veteran star Lionel Messi.

Harry Kane enters the ceremony hoping to become the first English player to win the men's award since Michael Owen in 2001. The Bayern Munich striker scored 73 goals in 65 appearances for club and country during the voting period, helping his team secure a domestic league and cup double. Reflecting on the anticipation, Kane said, “I’d love to be able to achieve something like that. It would be a massive milestone in my career.”

Competition for the prize remains fierce. Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal enters the conversation after helping Spain and his club secure major titles, while Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé enjoyed a prolific scoring campaign that included becoming the all-time leading scorer in World Cup history. Meanwhile, Lionel Messi continues to command attention after leading Inter Miami to an MLS Cup and driving Argentina to a strong World Cup performance.

For the women's award, two-time winner Alexia Putellas is widely considered the favorite to lift the trophy for a third time. Putellas secured the Champions League and Spanish title with Barcelona before transferring to London City Lionesses. Her primary challenger is expected to be Ewa Pajor, with reigning three-time winner Aitana Bonmati absent from the shortlist due to a leg injury sustained in December.

The winner of the Ballon d'Or is determined through a transparent voting system managed by France Football. One journalist from each of the top 100 countries in the FIFA men's world ranking selects their top ten players from a 30-man shortlist. Ballots are evaluated using specific criteria, including individual performance, decisive actions, team achievements, and sportsmanship.