Ballon d'Or 2026 ceremony to be held in London on 26 October | OneFootball

The 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place in London on Monday 26 October, when the men's and women's winners will be revealed. L'Équipe reports that the showpiece is moving from Paris for this anniversary edition.

Organisers have chosen England in tribute to Stanley Matthews, the first recipient in 1956 of the award created by France Football. The England international was a Blackpool player at the time.

The switch is described as temporary, although the prize's global reach means future editions could also be staged outside France. It is not unprecedented, with the 2010 to 2015 ceremonies held in Zurich, Switzerland, when FIFA co-organised the event.

After the 2025 edition crowned Ousmane Dembélé of Paris-SG and Aitana Bonmati of Barça on 22 September, the event, run jointly by France Football and UEFA, returns to a late October slot. The timing reflects the calendar and the FIFA international window for national teams from 21 September to 6 October.

This year's awards will recognise the best male and female players of the 2025-26 season, across all club and international competitions, notably the Champions League. For the men, the next World Cup, from 11 June to 19 July in the United States, Canada and Mexico, will also count.

As usual, the winners will be chosen by a jury of international journalists. There will be 100 voters for the men's award, drawn from the top 100 countries in the FIFA ranking, and 50 for the women's, from the top 50.

Source: L'Équipe