The 2026 Ballon d’Or winner will be revealed in London on Monday

The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony takes place in London on Monday evening, with the winner to be revealed at the close of the 70th edition. The event at the London Palladium will be hosted by Thierry Henry and journalist Kate Scott. Football fans have been looking forward to the occasion, with several contenders in the running, including Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal and Harry Kane.

After Paris and the Théâtre du Châtelet, the ceremony is being staged at the London Palladium in London. For the men’s Ballon d’Or, 30 players were nominated. The 100 journalists representing the 100 highest-ranked nations in the Fifa standings had until September 28 to cast their votes. The women’s award has a separate vote, with 50 journalists taking part.

The voting criteria are also set out. France Football places individual performances, decisive contributions and impact first, followed by team achievements and honours. Class and fair play complete the order of priorities.

The secrecy around the voting adds to the suspense. Pascal Ferré, a former head of the Ballon d’Or, says that since 2024 candidates have not been told their result in advance. “To keep the secret more easily, it was decided to conceal the winner’s name until the very end,” he said. Asked on Sunday whether a winner might already have been informed, Ferré said he did not believe that was the case.

Ferré also said he would have voted for Lamine Yamal, describing him as one of the few players still able to invent football in 2026. His view reflects the debate around the award, but the decision rests with the voters. The winner of the 2026 Ballon d’Or will be announced at the end of the London ceremony.