The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony is heading to London for the first time, with the world’s best players set to gather in the capital for the prestigious awards night.
The Ballon d’Or is returning in 2026 but this year’s ceremony will look a little different.
For the first time in the award’s 70-year history, football’s most prestigious individual awards will be held in London.
The ceremony will bring together the biggest names from across the men’s and women’s game, with the winners of the Ballon d’Or, Kopa Trophy, Yashin Trophy and other awards all set to be recognised.
Striver.Football covers everything you need to know ahead of this year’s ceremony.
When Is the 2026 Ballon d’Or Ceremony?
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place on Monday, October 26, 2026.
The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 8pm UK time and is expected to last around two hours.
There will also be a red-carpet event and reception before the main ceremony gets underway.
Where Will the 2026 Ballon d’Or Be Held?
The 2026 ceremony will be held in London, England, marking the first time the Ballon d’Or has been staged in the UK.
The decision was made to celebrate the award’s 70th anniversary and pay tribute to Sir Stanley Matthews, who became the first-ever Ballon d’Or winner in 1956.
UEFA confirmed the move to London in May, with further event details to be announced ahead of the ceremony.
The London Palladium has been reported as the expected venue, although the organisers had not officially confirmed the venue at the time of publication.
When Will the 2026 Ballon d’Or Nominees Be Announced?
The shortlist for the 2026 awards is expected to be revealed on Tuesday, September 8.
That means the race for this year’s prizes is about to become much clearer, with nominees for both the men's and women's Ballon d'Or among those expected to be announced.
The shortlist will also include the other major awards presented on the night.
These include the Kopa Trophy, Yashin Trophy, Gerd Müller Trophy, Johan Cruyff Trophy and Club of the Year awards.
Who Are the Reigning Ballon d’Or Winners?
The reigning winners are Ousmane Dembélé and Aitana Bonmatí.
Dembélé claimed the men's award after a hugely successful campaign with Paris Saint-Germain, while Bonmatí retained the women's Ballon d'Or after another outstanding season with Barcelona.
Both will now see whether they can make the shortlist again as they look to defend their crowns.
Why Is the 2026 Ballon d’Or Being Held in London?
The decision to bring the ceremony to London has particular historical significance.
The first Ballon d’Or was awarded in 1956 to England and Blackpool legend Stanley Matthews.
Seventy years later, the ceremony will therefore return to the country where the award's history began.
The move also underlines the global appeal of the Ballon d’Or, which is now jointly organised by France Football and UEFA.
The partnership between UEFA and the Amaury Group, which owns the Ballon d’Or brand, began in 2024.
Which Awards Will Be Presented at the 2026 Ballon d’Or?
The Ballon d’Or is now much more than a single award.
Alongside the men's and women's prizes, the ceremony will recognise the best young players, goalkeepers, coaches, goalscorers and clubs from the previous season.
The main awards include:
- Men's Ballon d'Or
- Women's Ballon d'Or
- Men's Kopa Trophy
- Women's Kopa Trophy
- Men's Yashin Trophy
- Women's Yashin Trophy
- Men's Gerd Müller Trophy
- Women's Gerd Müller Trophy
- Men's Johan Cruyff Trophy
- Women's Johan Cruyff Trophy
- Men's Club of the Year
- Women's Club of the Year
The awards recognise performances across the previous season, with the voting process remaining under the control of France Football.
What Happens Next in the 2026 Ballon d’Or Race?
With the ceremony now just weeks away, attention will quickly turn towards the players who have done enough to earn a place among the nominees.
And with the 2026 FIFA World Cup taking place earlier in the summer, this year's awards will have an added layer of intrigue.
The biggest question will be whether success on the international stage can influence the final vote — particularly with some of football's biggest stars having the chance to write their names into World Cup history before heading to London.
For now, though, the first major date is September 8.
The nominees will be revealed, the debates will begin, and the road to the 2026 Ballon d’Or will officially get underway.
Men's Ballon d'Or nominees
The 30-man shortlist features a mixture of established superstars, World Cup winners and some of the biggest names in European football.
- Harry Kane – Bayern Munich & England
- Vinicius Jr – Real Madrid & Brazil
- Fabián Ruiz – Paris Saint-Germain & Spain
- Vitinha – Paris Saint-Germain & Portugal
- Ferran Torres – Barcelona & Spain
- William Saliba – Arsenal & France
- Dayot Upamecano – Bayern Munich & France
- Bruno Fernandes – Manchester United & Portugal
- Pau Cubarsí – Barcelona & Spain
- Marc Cucurella – Chelsea/ Real Madrid & Spain
- Jude Bellingham – Real Madrid & England
- Ousmane Dembélé – Paris Saint-Germain & France
- Luis Díaz – Bayern Munich & Colombia
- Lamine Yamal – Barcelona & Spain
- Erling Haaland – Manchester City & Norway
- Gabriel Magalhães – Arsenal & Brazil
- Achraf Hakimi – Paris Saint-Germain & Morocco
- Khvicha Kvaratskhelia – Paris Saint-Germain & Georgia
- Lionel Messi – Inter Miami & Argentina
- Sadio Mané – Al-Nassr & Senegal
- Marquinhos – Paris Saint-Germain & Brazil
- Lautaro Martínez – Inter Milan & Argentina
- Kylian Mbappé – Real Madrid & France
- Nuno Mendes – Paris Saint-Germain & Portugal
- João Neves – Paris Saint-Germain & Portugal
- Michael Olise – Bayern Munich & France
- William Pacho – Paris Saint-Germain & Ecuador
- Julián Quiñones – Al-Qadsiah & Mexico
- Rodri – Barcelona & Spain
- Declan Rice – Arsenal & England
The shortlist means Lamine Yamal, Ousmane Dembélé and Lionel Messi are once again among the names attracting significant attention, while Harry Kane, Rodri, Mbappé and Vitinha are also expected to feature heavily in discussions surrounding the eventual winner.
There is also a strong Premier League presence, with Arsenal's William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães and Declan Rice all nominated.
Women's Ballon d'Or nominees
The Women's Ballon d'Or shortlist is just as competitive, with 30 players representing clubs and nations from across the world.
- Selma Bacha – OL Lyonnes & France
- Barbra Banda – Orlando Pride & Zambia
- Esmee Brugts – Barcelona & Netherlands
- Klara Bühl – Bayern Munich & Germany
- Mariona Caldentey – Arsenal & Spain
- Scarlett Camberos – Club América & Mexico
- Kerstin Casparij – Manchester City & Netherlands
- Temwa Chawinga – Kansas City Current & Malawi
- Cata Coll – Barcelona & Spain
- Melchie Dumornay – OL Lyonnes & Haiti
- Alex Greenwood – Manchester City & England
- Patri Guijarro – Barcelona & Spain
- Caroline Graham Hansen – Barcelona & Norway
- Pernille Harder – Bayern Munich & Denmark
- Yui Hasegawa – Manchester City & Japan
- Rose Lavelle – Gotham FC & USA
- Mapi León – London City Lionesses & Spain
- Lorena – Kansas City Current & Brazil
- Melvine Malard – Chelsea & France
- Manaka Matsukubo – Chelsea & Japan
- Vivianne Miedema – Manchester City & Netherlands
- Ewa Pajor – Barcelona & Poland
- Claudia Pina – Barcelona & Spain
- Alexia Putellas – London City Lionesses & Spain
- Wendie Renard – OL Lyonnes & France
- Alessia Russo – Arsenal & England
- Khadija Shaw – Manchester City & Jamaica
- Momoko Tanikawa – Bayern Munich & Japan
- Caroline Weir – OL Lyonnes & Scotland
- Tessa Wullaert – Como & Belgium
Among the standout names is Claudia Pina, who enjoyed a remarkable campaign with Barcelona, while Arsenal forward Alessia Russo is also recognised after another hugely productive season.
Manchester City's Khadija Shaw is another major contender after an outstanding campaign, while Barcelona have once again supplied a significant portion of the shortlist.
Men's Young Talent of the Year nominees
The award recognising the best emerging men's talent features 10 nominees.
- Kerim Alajbegović – RB Salzburg/Juventus
- Ayyoub Bouaddi – Lille/Manchester City
- Pau Cubarsí – Barcelona
- Yan Diomandé – RB Leipzig/Real Madrid
- Lennart Karl – Bayern Munich
- Éli Junior Kroupi – Bournemouth
- Lamine Yamal – Barcelona
- Johan Manzambi – Freiburg/Aston Villa
- Ibrahim Maza – Bayer Leverkusen
- Warren Zaïre-Emery – Paris Saint-Germain
Lamine Yamal will be one of the most familiar names on the list, having already won the award twice.
The Barcelona forward is nominated for a third time, while Pau Cubarsí and Warren Zaïre-Emery are also returning nominees.
Women's Young Talent of the Year nominees
The women's young talent award features five nominees:
- Veerle Buurman – Chelsea & Netherlands
- Vicky López – Barcelona & Spain
- Felicia Schröder – Real Madrid & Sweden
- Clara Serrajordi – Barcelona & Spain
- Lily Yohannes – OL Lyonnes & United States
Barcelona's Vicky López will be looking to add another award to her collection after previously winning the Women's Young Talent award.
Men's Goalkeeper of the Year nominees
The race to succeed the previous Yashin Trophy winner features 10 goalkeepers:
- Vozinha – Colo-Colo & Cape Verde
- Unai Simón –Athletic Club & Spain
- David Raya – Arsenal & Spain
- Joan García – Barcelona & Spain
- Gregor Kobel – Borussia Dortmund & Switzerland
- Edouard Mendy – Al-Ahli & Senegal
- Emiliano Martínez – Aston Villa/ Chelsea & Argentina
- Matvey Safonov – PSG & Russia
- Yassine Bounou –Al Hilal & Morocco
- Thibaut Courtois – Real Madrid & Belgium
There is plenty of Premier League interest, with Arsenal's David Raya included after another impressive campaign.
Raya's shortlist also comes after a season in which he helped Arsenal to the Premier League title, while Spain's Joan García and Unai Simón also make the cut.
Women's Goalkeeper of the Year nominees
The women's goalkeeper award has five nominees:
- Ann-Katrin Berger – Gotham FC & Germany
- Cata Coll – Barcelona & Spain
- Hannah Hampton – Chelsea & England
- Lorena – Kansas City Current & Brazil
- Ayaka Yamashita – Manchester City & Japan
Hampton will be one of the home favourites following another strong season for Chelsea, while Cata Coll is also nominated after helping Barcelona to a trophy-filled campaign.
Men's Coach of the Year nominees
Five coaches have been shortlisted for the men's award:
- Luis Enrique – Paris Saint-Germain
- Luis de la Fuente – Spain
- Mikel Arteta – Arsenal
- Unai Emery – Aston Villa
- Vincent Kompany – Bayern Munich
For English football, Mikel Arteta's nomination will be of particular interest after Arsenal's Premier League success.
Luis Enrique is also a major contender after another trophy-filled campaign with Paris Saint-Germain, while Kompany led Bayern Munich to domestic success.
Women's Coach of the Year nominees
The five nominees for the women's award are:
- Jonatan Giráldez – OL Lyonnes
- Andrée Jeglertz – Manchester City
- Nils Nielsen – Japan
- Pere Romeu – Barcelona
- Elena Sadiku – Celtic/BK Häcken
The shortlist reflects success across club and international football, with Barcelona, Manchester City and OL Lyonnes all represented.
Men's Club of the Year nominees
The five clubs competing for the men's award are:
- Arsenal
- Bayern Munich
- Bodø/Glimt
- Flamengo
- Paris Saint-Germain
Arsenal's inclusion caps an impressive collection of nominations for the club, with Arteta, Raya, Saliba, Gabriel and Rice all featuring in individual categories.
Paris Saint-Germain will also be among the favourites after a trophy-laden campaign, while Flamengo's success in South America and Bodø/Glimt's historic season have earned them recognition.
Women's Club of the Year nominees
The five nominees are:
- Barcelona
- Bayern Munich
- Club América
- Lyon
- Manchester City
Barcelona enjoyed another hugely successful campaign, including Champions League, Liga and domestic cup success, while Manchester City were crowned WSL champions and FA Cup winners.
Bayern Munich, Club América and Lyon complete the shortlist.
Arsenal lead the English nominations
There is a particularly strong Arsenal presence across this year's awards.
William Saliba, Gabriel Magalhães and Declan Rice are all nominated for the Men's Ballon d'Or, while David Raya is in contention for the Yashin Trophy.
Arteta is nominated for Men's Coach of the Year, and Arsenal have also been shortlisted for Men's Club of the Year.
On the women's side, Mariona Caldentey and Alessia Russo are both among the 30 Women's Ballon d'Or nominees.
It means Arsenal have a presence across virtually every major individual and club category, making October a potentially very significant night for the club.
