The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony will be held in London, UK, on Monday, October 26. This marks a shift from the traditional location in Paris, France, where the event has been held since 2019. The ceremony is co-organized by the French publication France Football and UEFA and will take place at the London Palladium Theatre. The move to London is intended to honor Stanley Matthews, the English player who won the inaugural Ballon d'Or 70 years ago.
Rodri, the 2024 winner, has been nominated again for the award after helping Spain win the World Cup this summer, according to The Sporting News. Rodri was also named the best player of the 2026 World Cup after Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 after extra time in the final. Other players considered as contenders include Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, and Michael Olise. All four players appear on the official 30-man shortlist.
The shortlist of nominees was announced by France Football on Tuesday, September 8, according to a report from The Sporting News. The voting process involves media members who select names from a list of finalists and rank them. Each vote is given points based on how the media member ranks each player. The men's award is decided by specialized journalists representing countries from the top 100 of the FIFA rankings, with each juror ranking 10 players from the 30 nominees.
Originally, the Ballon d'Or was only for European players. In 1995, the eligibility rules were changed to include non-European players who play in Europe. In 2022, the criteria for voting were updated to focus on recent performance rather than career achievements. The new system evaluates players based on three main factors: their individual performance in the previous season, team success during that time, and behavior and fair play. The 2022 reforms also changed the evaluation period from the calendar year to the football season.
The Ballon d'Or was first awarded in 1956, with the inaugural winner being a player named Stanley Matthews, The Sporting News reported. Matthews was already 41 years old when he received the award for the first time. His long career, which extended into his fifties, was noted as a major part of his legacy. Some debate arose over whether his recognition was based on that year's performance or his overall career. Today, he is recognized as one of the most innovative and important figures in soccer history.
The event has been held in Zurich during the years when it was known as the FIFA Ballon d'Or. That partnership between France Football and FIFA lasted from 2010 to 2015. FIFA and France Football separated after the 2015 award, after which France Football again operated the Ballon d'Or independently until beginning its current collaboration with UEFA in 2024.
The ceremony has been held in Paris since 2019 at the Theatre du Chatelet. This year’s ceremony will be the 70th edition of the men's Ballon d'Or award. The nominees for this year’s award were chosen from a list of players who excelled during the most recent season. The final decision will come from media members around the world. Reuters reported that Harry Kane, Erling Haaland and Lionel Messi are among the prominent names on this year's 30-player shortlist.
This year’s ceremony is expected to draw a large audience of soccer fans and industry professionals.