The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place on October 26 at the London Palladium. The official part will begin at 20:00 GMT, which means 22:00 Bulgarian time. The red carpet is scheduled for around 20:00 Bulgarian time. In Bulgaria, the event will be broadcast by bTV Action, and the hosts will be French football legend Thierry Henry and British journalist Kate Scott.
UEFA said: “The ceremony will be held in London for the first time, as the award celebrates its 70th anniversary.“ The choice of the British capital is linked to Stanley Matthews, who in 1956 became the first winner of the award, established by France Football magazine.
There are 30 players nominated for the main men's award. The list includes Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane, Ousmane Dembele, Rodri, Vinicius Junior, Erling Haaland, Bruno Fernandes and Vitinha.
Paris Saint-Germain has ten representatives on the shortlist, a record for the club in the history of the award. The nominees include three former Ballon d'Or winners: eight-time winner Lionel Messi, current winner Ousmane Dembele and 2024 winner Rodri.
In addition to the men's and women's Ballon d'Ors, the best young players, goalkeepers, coaches and clubs for men and women will be announced. The top scorer awards and the Socrates award for social and charitable initiatives will also be presented.
Last year's winners of the main awards were Ousmane Dembele for men and Aitana Bonmati for women. The 2026 winners will be determined after voting by an international jury of specialized football journalists.