All you need to know about the 2026 Ballon d’Or
Back for its 70th year, the Ballon d’Or ceremony will once again recognise the best footballing talent in the world. Run by France Football magazine since 1956, it is widely viewed as the pinnacle of individual prizes for professional footballers worldwide. As ever, the shortlists of contenders for the biggest awards of the night have […]
The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony, celebrating its 70th anniversary, will be held on October 26th at 8pm GMT at London's Palladium Theatre. This marks the first time the event is taking place in London, as a tribute to England's Stanley Matthews, who won the inaugural Ballon d'Or in 1956. The ceremony traditionally takes place in France, having been held at Paris' Theatre du Chatelet since 2019.
To determine the winner, a dual voting system is employed. For the men's award, a list of 30 players is shortlisted by journalists from France Football and L'Equipe, published a few months prior to the event. This shortlist is then ranked by 100 journalists worldwide, whose rankings combined decide the ultimate winner. Jurors are instructed to consider three factors when ranking players: individual performance, collective performance and titles won, and class and fair play.
Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, and Kylian Mbappe are the frontrunners for the men's prize this year. Kane, captain of England, scored an impressive 73 goals across club and international competitions in the 2025-26 season, including 156 goals for Bayern Munich since 2023. He also led his country to a bronze medal in the World Cup, finishing as the top scorer.
Lamine Yamal, a 19-year-old Spaniard, has twice won the men's Kopa Trophy and is highly rated for his performances with Barcelona, including 24 goals and 18 assists across all competitions. Kylian Mbappe, despite France's disappointing performance in the World Cup, led Real Madrid with 42 goals in 2025-26. Lionel Messi, while his dominance in the Ballon d'Or may be waning, managed to score eight goals for Argentina in the World Cup, and accumulated 29 goals in 32 appearances for Inter Miami during the 2025-26 season.
Rodri, the 2024 Ballon d'Or winner, had a challenging year due to injuries, but leading Spain to victory in the World Cup and being named the tournament's best player has kept him in contention. Erling Haaland, Manchester City's star striker, scored 27 goals in the Premier League and 38 club goals across all competitions, including becoming the fastest player to reach 50 Champions League goals.
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