Ballon d’Or 2026 heads to London for its 70th anniversary
The Ballon d’Or 2026 ceremony will take place in London on 26 October, as the most famous individual prize in football celebrates its 70th anniversary edition. Organisers confirmed the gala will once again gather the game’s biggest names at the London Palladium Theatre, where the best men’s and women’s players of the year will be crowned.
London was also the venue for the 2025 ceremony, when Ousmane Dembele claimed the men’s prize and Aitana Bonmati won the women’s Ballon d’Or. The capital has become a regular host for world football’s biggest nights, including the FIFA Best awards, and the 70th edition promises another star-studded evening.
Thierry Henry and Kate Scott to host the gala night
The ceremony will be hosted by Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and sports broadcaster Kate Scott, both familiar faces to British football audiences. Henry, one of the greatest strikers of the Premier League era, brings star power of his own, while Scott has fronted major football coverage on both sides of the Atlantic.
The pairing follows recent editions fronted by big names from football and broadcasting, and organisers are promising a show to match the milestone anniversary, with tributes to seven decades of Ballon d’Or history planned for the evening.
Ballon d’Or nominees 2026: Mbappe, Kane, Yamal and the defending champion
The shortlist for the men’s Ballon d’Or 2026 is headlined by Kylian Mbappe, whose prolific season with Real Madrid made him the early favourite, alongside England captain Harry Kane after another outstanding campaign with Bayern Munich and the Three Lions.
Barcelona’s teenage sensation Lamine Yamal is also among the frontrunners after a dazzling year, while defending champion Ousmane Dembele returns to the nominee list following his 2025 triumph with Paris Saint-Germain.
Record shortlists announced this year featured the most nominees in the award’s history across the men’s and women’s prizes, underlining the depth of talent in the modern game.
The women’s award sees Aitana Bonmati bidding to retain her crown after winning in 2025, with Barcelona team-mates and European champions again well represented among the nominees.
Ballon d’Or all time winners: the records Messi and Ronaldo built
Any conversation about the Ballon d’Or all time winners list begins with Lionel Messi, whose record eight triumphs (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021 and 2023) may never be matched. His great rival Cristiano Ronaldo won five times between 2008 and 2017, dominating the award across a decade alongside the Argentine.
Ronaldo also holds the record for the most nominations in history, with 18 to his name, ahead of Messi’s 16. Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Marco van Basten each won the prize three times, while legends such as Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo Nazario and Ronaldinho claimed a single crown apiece.
More than the main prize: Kopa, Yashin and the other awards
The Ballon d’Or gala is about more than the main prize. The Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best young player, could see Lamine Yamal claim back-to-back honours, while the Yashin Trophy honours the world’s best goalkeeper and the Gerd Muller Trophy goes to the top scorer of the season.
Team of the year awards for the best men’s and women’s clubs, the Socrates Award for humanitarian work and the Johan Cruyff Trophy for the best coach complete the line-up for the 70th anniversary night in London.
Ballon d’Or 2026: how the voting works and when winners are announced
Voting for the Ballon d’Or is conducted by a panel of 100 journalists from FIFA’s top-ranked nations, each selecting their top ten players from the shortlist. Points are awarded on a sliding scale, with the highest-ranked player on each ballot receiving 15 points.
The winners will be announced live on stage at the London Palladium on 26 October 2026, with the ceremony broadcast around the world. Keep following UrduPro’s sports desk for full coverage of the results and reaction.
Sources: UEFA, Ballon d’Or
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