Ballon d'Or 2026: Ceremony Set for October 26 in London
The 2026 Ballon d'Or race now has an official date and stage: Monday, October 26, at the London Palladium — the first time the ceremony leaves its usual Paris home, in a year marking the award's 70th anniversary.
A Historic Venue for a Landmark Year
Created by France Football in 1956, the Ballon d'Or celebrates its 70th edition this year, and organizers marked the occasion by moving the ceremony to London for the first time — the London Palladium will host the event on October 26.
The Champions League Names in the Race
Among the confirmed nominees are Kylian Mbappé and Vinícius Júnior of Real Madrid, Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, Bayern Munich's Harry Kane, and PSG's Ousmane Dembélé — the reigning holder looking to become a back-to-back winner.
As with most editions, this year's shortlist leans heavily on Champions League form — see our earlier look at the favorites for how each case had been building through the year.
One Month Until the Vote Closes
With the ceremony now five weeks out and Champions League Matchday 2 not arriving until October 13-14, this is one of the clearer stretches of the calendar where individual form and past-season performance, rather than a fresh round of results, will drive the conversation.