The 2026 Ballon d'Or awards, one of the most prestigious honours in football, will be presented at the London Palladium Theatre on Monday. The ceremony will recognise the best performers in men's and women's football, alongside awards for goalkeepers, young players, coaches, clubs and top scorers.
This year's edition marks the first time the ceremony will be held in London, with the move paying tribute to Stanley Matthews, the inaugural Ballon d'Or winner in 1956.
Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembele, who won the men's award in 2025, is among the contenders to retain his title. However, he faces competition from several prominent names, including Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Lamine Yamal.
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The women's award will also attract attention, with Barcelona's Alexia Putellas and Manchester City's Khadija Shaw among the notable contenders.
Ballon d'Or 2026: Date And Time
The Ballon d'Or 2026 awards ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, October 27, at 1:30 a.m. IST
Ballon d'Or 2026: Venue
The 70th Ballon d'Or awards ceremony will be held at the London Palladium Theatre in London, England.
Ballon d'Or 2026: Live Broadcasting
There is no confirmed TV channel for the live telecast of the Ballon d'Or awards.
Ballon d'Or 2026: Live Streaming
Football fans can check DAZN for live streaming of the Ballon d'Or ceremony.
Ballon d'Or 2026: Men's Contenders
Harry Kane, Erling Haaland, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal and defending champion Ousmane Dembele are among the biggest names in contention for the men's award.
Kane enjoyed a prolific campaign for Bayern Munich and England, scoring 73 goals for club and country, according to the published shortlist preview. Haaland also features after another prolific season for Manchester City and Norway.
Mbappe and Yamal will be among the other names to watch, while Messi, the record eight-time winner, is also on the 30-player shortlist. Rodri, the 2024 winner, is another former recipient in contention for the prestigious award.
The complete men's shortlist includes Jude Bellingham, Pau Cubarsi, Marc Cucurella, Ousmane Dembele, Luis Diaz, Bruno Fernandes, Gabriel, Erling Haaland, Achraf Hakimi, Harry Kane, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Lamine Yamal, Sadio Mane, Marquinhos, Lautaro Martinez, Kylian Mbappe, Nuno Mendes, Lionel Messi, Joao Neves, Michael Olise, Willian Pacho, Julian Quinones, Declan Rice, Rodri, Fabian Ruiz, William Saliba, Ferran Torres, Dayot Upamecano, Vinicius Junior and Vitinha.
Ballon d'Or 2026: Women's Contenders
The women's award also features a competitive shortlist. Alexia Putellas, a two-time Ballon d'Or winner, is among the leading names, while Ewa Pajor and Khadija Shaw are also notable contenders following impressive scoring campaigns.
The 30 nominees are Selma Bacha, Barbra Banda, Klara Buhl, Esmee Brugts, Mariona Caldentey, Scarlett Camberos, Kerstin Casparij, Temwa Chawinga, Cata Coll, Melchie Dumornay, Caroline Graham Hansen, Alex Greenwood, Patri Guijarro, Pernille Harder, Yui Hasegawa, Rose Lavelle, Mapi Leon, Lorena, Melvine Malard, Manaka Matsukubo, Vivianne Miedema, Ewa Pajor, Claudia Pina, Alexia Putellas, Wendie Renard, Alessia Russo, Khadija Shaw, Momoko Tanikawa, Caroline Weir and Tessa Wullaert.
Ballon d'Or 2026: Awards
The ceremony will feature 13 awards across men's and women's football and other special categories. These include:
Men's Ballon d'Or
Women's Ballon d'Or
Men's Kopa Trophy — best young player
Women's Kopa Trophy — best young player
Men's Yashin Trophy — best goalkeeper
Women's Yashin Trophy — best goalkeeper
Men's Gerd Müller Trophy — top scorer
Women's Gerd Müller Trophy — top scorer
Men's Johan Cruyff Trophy — best coach
Women's Johan Cruyff Trophy — best coach
Men's Club of the Year
Women's Club of the Year
Sócrates Award — recognition for humanitarian and social initiatives
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Ballon d'Or 2026: Past Winners
Ousmane Dembele won the men's Ballon d'Or in 2025 after helping Paris Saint-Germain to a historic campaign. Aitana Bonmatà won the women's award for the third consecutive year.
Lionel Messi remains the record holder in the men's category with eight wins, followed by former Real Madrid player Cristiano Ronaldo with five. Bonmati has won the women's award three times, while Putellas claimed the honour in 2021 and 2022.
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