The Ballon D’or returns later this year for the 70th edition of the award, but there are some changes to be aware of.

The most glamorous and coveted individual award in football will be leaving Paris for the first time in 70 years.

Here is everything you need to know about the award — when it’s happening, who’s in the running, and how to watch the ceremony unfold.

When is the Ballon d’Or 2026?

Ballon d’Or 2026 Date and Time

• Monday, October 26, 2026
• London, England
• 7pm GMT (TBC)

The 70th Edition of the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place on 26 October in London, a Monday evening. It marks the first time the gala has been staged outside of France’s capital.

An exact start time hasn’t yet been confirmed by organisers, but recent editions offer a useful guide. The 2025 ceremony kicked off at 7 PM UK time, with a red carpet preceding it by roughly an hour. If 2026 follows the same template, expect coverage to begin in the early evening.

Here is how a 7pm London start would translate elsewhere:

These times remain as an estimate, with times awaiting confirmation via UEFA.

Ballon d’Or 2026 Venue

London will host the ceremony for the first time in the award’s history, breaking a run that has seen the gala held at the Theatre du Chatalet in Paris since 2019, before which it rotated between Parisian settings including the Grand Palais and the Eiffel Tower.

The choice of London pays tribute to Sir Stanley Matthews, the English winger who became the award’s inaugural winner in 1956. Organisers have confirmed the move is temporary, with the ceremony expected to return to Paris in 2027.

The precise venue within London is yet to be announced at the time of writing. UEFA has framed the move as part of a broader push to expand the global reach of the award.

Ballon d’Or 2026 Nominees

France Football typically unveils the official 30-man shortlist in August, with the full nominee list and individual category contenders confirmed closer to the ceremony itself. Shortlists for the Men’s and Women’s Ballon d’Or, plus the Kopa and Yashin trophies, are expected as October approaches.

The voting process itself is notably broad. The winner is chosen by a panel of journalists rather than fans or players, with one journalist from each of the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations casting a ranked vote. Crucially, the award judges a full season rather than a calendar year, and the 2026 eligibility window runs from the start of the 2025-26 season through to the conclusion of the summer’s World Cup, meaning this year’s tournament in North America carries heavy weight in the final reckoning.

For a deeper breakdown of who’s currently leading the race, see our Ballon d’Or 2026 Power Rankings.

A handful of names dominate early conversations. Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane enjoyed a phenomenal season, scoring 61 goals whilst winning the DFB-Pokal and Bundesliga, and a strong World Cup campaign would only sharpen his case. Lamine Yamal finished runner-up in 2025, with the breakout star playing a big part in Barcelona’s success, although a hamstring injury has clouded his World Cup fitness. Reigning winner Ousmane Dembélé remains a serious contender after another top campaign, winning the Champions League once again. Alexia Putellas and Lyon’s Melchie Dumornay are among frontrunners following Aitana Bonmatí’s injury-affected season.

How to Watch the Ballon d’Or 2026

Broadcast details for 2026 haven’t yet been finalised at the time of writing, but again, we can make a fair guess from recent years. The ceremony is usually streamed live and free on the official ballondor.com website, alongside a network of regional broadcast partners across dozens of countries. In the US, the ceremony has previously aired via Paramount+ and CBS Sports.

Hosting duties have in recent years gone to broadcaster Kate Scott alongside 1987 Ballon d’Or winner Ruud Gullit, with past trophies handed over by previous winners. Whether that pairing returns for the London edition — and who takes presenting duties for a ceremony staged in England for the first time — remains to be seen.

Manchester United have turned their attentions elsewhere after turning their back on the signing of Ederson from Atalanta.

United set out their stall at the start of the summer transfer window to add two new central midfielders to Michael Carrick’s squad ahead of the start of the 2026/27 season.

Now, with United back in pre-season training, no new signings have arrived at Old Trafford. Furthermore, United have missed out on a number of players understood to be targets of theirs.

Man Utd have missed out on a number of high-profile targets this summer

The number one transfer priority heading into the summer was Elliot Anderson, but United missed out on the Nottingham Forest and England man, with rivals Manchester City securing a £116million deal for him.

United were also linked with Mateus Fernandes from West Ham United, but saw the Portuguese move to Tottenham in an £85million move instead. Sandro Tonali was another linked with a move but he also made the move to Spurs.

Before the World Cup got underway, United agreed a deal with Atalanta to sign Ederson – a late call-up to the Brazil squad for the tournament – for £38million, but before that could be confirmed, the deal collapsed, seemingly over problems with the player’s medical tests.

That has led to United changing their plans and now, as with Fernandes, it looks like they have earmarked a player who was relegated from the Premier League at the end of last season in Joao Gomes.

United opened talks with Gomes this summer, but looked to have missed out on another target because agent Jorge Mendes was in talks over taking his client to Atletico Madrid instead. That move did not come to fruition and United are now back in the market for the Wolverhampton Wanderers man.

Gomes only missed three Premier League matches for Wolves in 2025/26, with the game at home to Manchester United being one of them.

How much a move for Joao Gomes could cost Man Utd

Atletico had appeared set to confirm a €45million (£38million) deal for Gomes, which would be the same price United were willing to pay for Ederson. United have opened talks once more with Wolves for the 25-year-old, who has been described as “insane” by the official Wolves podcast.

They may not have it all their own way when it comes to landing his signature, however, with Liverpool also in talks with Wolves over a deal.

Rangers are interested in signing AEK Athens defender James Penrice this summer, although they’ll face competition from Middlesbrough and Blackburn for the player, according to GIVEMESPORT senior football correspondent Ben Jacobs.

Penrice impressed in AEK Athens’ title-winning campaign last term, making 33 appearances across all competitions for the Greek giants. That said, despite performing admirably, the Scotsman was largely used as a squad player and is now exploring potential moves back to the United Kingdom.

The left-back was the subject of interest from Rangers in January, although a deal ultimately failed to materialise.

The Glaswegian club could now reignite their interest in Penrice, although this pursuit will come with more hurdles this time around as multiple clubs monitor the 27-year-old’s situation in the Greek capital.

Rangers ‘Appreciate’ AEK Athens Defender James Penrice

Rangers have been rampant in the transfer market so far this summer, signing four players for new manager Derek McInnes. Goalkeeper Ivan Pandur, defender Ross McCrorie, Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil and prolific Hearts striker Lawrence Shankland have all arrived at Ibrox to bolster the Gers’ squad.

The Scottish giants aren’t prepared to stop there. A left-back is also on their agenda, and long-term target Penrice remains an option.

Jacobs suggests that Middlesbrough and Blackburn have made enquiries about Penrice’s availability, while Rangers still ‘appreciate’ the player.

The Light Blues are yet to approach AEK Athens over a prospective deal, meaning the aforementioned Championship clubs may have an advantage in the race to land the marauding full-back.

However, Penrice reportedly wanted to join Rangers six months ago, and given his nationality, the Glaswegian outfit probably hold swaying power if they opt to properly pursue Penrice.

The defender left Hearts for Athens last summer after enjoying an excellent 2024/25 season. While he has performed well for the Greek club, he made just 16 league starts, and this lack of prominence may prompt him to push for a move back to his home nation.

McInnes’ Squad is Starting to Take Shape

via Reuters

McInnes did an excellent job at Hearts last season, almost leading the Edinburgh side to a shock title triumph. With greater resources at Ibrox, he could be the first man to deliver a Scottish Premiership title to Rangers since Steven Gerrard in 2021.

The club’s hierarchy are clearly intent on providing the tactician with all the tools he needs to secure this historic achievement. Alongside the four signings that have already been made, Rangers are eyeing a double midfield swoop for Partizan Belgrade’s Vanja Dragojevic and Tromso’s Jens Hjerto-Dahl.

Add Penrice to the mix, and suddenly the Teddy Bears have a squad capable of competing with Celtic.

A handful more additions may need to be made, particularly if certain key players leave, but McInnes’ Rangers is beginning to take shape.