The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held at the London Palladium Theatre, the first time the prestigious football awards have ever been staged outside of Paris. The event is scheduled for Monday, October 26, with a start time of 8pm BST, and will be broadcast live and free worldwide on streaming service DAZN.
This year's ceremony marks the 70th anniversary of the award, which was created by France Football magazine in 1956. The move to London's iconic West End venue represents a significant shift for the globally watched event, bringing it to England for the first time in its history.
Hosts and presentation details
Thierry Henry and Kate Scott will host the proceedings. Henry, the former Arsenal and France striker, is recognised as one of the most iconic players of his generation. "One of the most iconic players of his generation, Thierry Henry will bring his insight, experience and passion for the game to this year's event," he said. Scott is a familiar face to the ceremony, having previously hosted in 2014, 2015 and 2025. "A familiar face to football fans around the world, Kate Scott returns as host after previously presenting the ceremony in 2014, 2015 and 2025," she said.
Alongside the main Men's and Women's Ballon d'Or awards, the ceremony will also present the Young Talent of the Year awards for both categories and the Sócrates Award, which recognises footballers for their solidarity initiatives and work on societal causes.
Nominees and voting process
The list includes Manchester City's Rodri and Erling Haaland, Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappé and Jude Bellingham, and Paris Saint-Germain's Ousmane Dembélé and Nuno Mendes. Inter Miami's Lionel Messi is also nominated, alongside Arsenal's Declan Rice, William Saliba and Gabriel, and Bayern Munich's Harry Kane and Michael Olise.
including Barcelona stars Alexia Putellas Aitana Bonmatí and Caroline Graham Hansen Manchester City's Khadija Shaw and Alex Greenwood and Arsenal's Alessia Russo.
Voting for the men's award is conducted by one journalist from each of the top 100 nations in the FIFA World Rankings, while the women's award is voted on by journalists from the top 50 nations. The voting period covers player achievements from August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026. Journalists award points on a sliding scale from 15 points for a first-place vote down to one point for a tenth-place selection. If two players finish with the same total points, the tie-breaker is the number of first-place votes received, followed by second-place votes.
How to watch
DAZN will offer exclusive worldwide coverage of the ceremony. Viewers can sign up for a free membership on the platform using only an email address to access the live stream. The event kicks off at 8pm UK time on Monday, October 26.
Bristol City's next Championship fixture is away to Stoke City on Saturday, October 24.
Background and full detail: UEFA.com
