The Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place in London for the first time in its history on 26 October 2026, marking the award's 70th anniversary. The event, co-organised by France Football and UEFA since 2024, will be hosted at a yet-to-be-announced London venue.
The 2025 award was won by France and Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele, while the women's prize went to Aitana Bonmati. The statement from organisers noted that the move to London continues the Ballon d'Or's expansion and strengthens its global prestige.
England captain Harry Kane is among the favourites for the 2026 men's award, following his prolific goalscoring for Bayern Munich. Other contenders include Dembele, Declan Rice, Michael Olise, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal. The last English winner was Michael Owen in 2001.
Lionel Messi holds the record with eight Ballon d'Or titles, most recently in 2023 after leading Argentina to World Cup glory. Cristiano Ronaldo has five, while Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten each have three.
