The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held in London for the first time this autumn.
To mark the award’s 70th anniversary, seven decades on from Englishman Stanley Matthews being the first winner of the Ballon d’Or, the event will be hosted by a London venue, yet to be announced, on 26 October.
The award is presented by France Football, co-organised by UEFA since 2024, and is given to the world’s best footballer. France and PSG forward Ousmane Dembele won last year’s award.
A statement read: “By staging its 70th edition in the capital of England and the United Kingdom, the Ballon d’Or continues its expansion and further strengthens its status as a globally prestigious brand.
“As the European football season draws to a close, and with the 2026 FIFA World Cup on the horizon, the question on everyone’s mind remains: who will succeed 2025 winners Aitana Bonmatí and Ousmane Dembele?”
Lionel Messi has won the most Ballon d’Or awards with eight, most recently in 2023 after he led Argentina to the 2022 Fifa World Cup.
Cristiano Ronaldo is next on the list with five, followed by Michel Platini, Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten – all on three.
The last English player to win it was Michael Owen in 2001, but England captain Harry Kane is a contender this year after his goalscoring exploits for Bayern Munich this season.
Ahead of this summer’s World Cup in North America, Kane is the favourite ahead of Dembele, Declan Rice, Michael Olise, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal.
