2026 Ballon d’Or Ceremony Set for London Palladium

The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony will be staged at London’s Palladium on 26 October, taking the awards gala away from Paris for its 70th anniversary. The men’s and women’s 30-player shortlists have been announced, with Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Arsenal and Manchester City strongly represented after a season shaped by domestic titles, European success and the 2026 World Cup.

Why the 2026 Ballon d’Or matters

France Football’s awards recognise the leading players in the global game, irrespective of league or nationality. A panel of 100 journalists selects the candidates and votes using individual displays, decisive impact, team achievements, class and fair play as the main criteria.

Item	Detail
Ceremony date	26 October 2026
Venue	The London Palladium, London
Anniversary	70th Ballon d’Or gala
Men’s and women’s main shortlists	30 nominees in each category
Voting panel	100 journalists
First winner	Stanley Matthews, aged 41, at a ceremony in Blackpool

The London event also has a clear historical connection. The inaugural Ballon d’Or presentation was held in Blackpool and won by England forward Stanley Matthews, whose career was chiefly associated with Blackpool and Stoke City. Organisers have moved the anniversary edition to the country in which the award began.

Men’s Ballon d’Or shortlist

Player	Club	Nation	2025-26 case
Jude Bellingham	Real Madrid	England	Scored seven times as England finished third at the World Cup, including two goals against Mexico in the last 16, despite Madrid ending a second straight season without silverware.
Pau Cubarsí	Barcelona	Spain	First nomination for the 19-year-old defender after Barcelona’s league title and Spain’s World Cup triumph. He played every minute at the tournament, kept seven clean sheets and won Best Young Player.
Marc Cucurella	Chelsea / Real Madrid	Spain	Regular for Chelsea before completing a World Cup-period move to Real Madrid. Played every minute for Spain, supplied two assists and became a world champion.
Ousmane Dembélé	Paris Saint-Germain	France	The 2025 winner helped PSG retain the Champions League and produced six goals plus two assists for France at the World Cup.
Luis Díaz	Bayern Munich	Colombia	Scored 15 of Bayern’s 122 Bundesliga goals in 34 matches. Colombia were eliminated by Switzerland on penalties in the World Cup last 16, with Díaz recording a goal and an assist.
Bruno Fernandes	Manchester United	Portugal	Delivered nine goals and a Premier League-record 21 assists for United, earning the division’s Player of the Season award.
Erling Haaland	Manchester City	Norway	Won a third Golden Boot with 27 league goals in 35 appearances, despite scoring only three league goals from January to mid-April. Added seven goals in Norway’s first World Cup campaign.
Gabriel Magalhães	Arsenal	Brazil	Part of Arsenal’s title-winning defence, which registered 17 clean sheets.
Harry Kane	Bayern Munich	England	One of the leading contenders after 67 goals in 58 Bayern matches, including 36 in 31 Bundesliga games. Captained England to third place at the World Cup.
Achraf Hakimi	Paris Saint-Germain	Morocco	Won Ligue 1 and the Champions League with PSG despite making 18 league appearances. Also featured in Morocco’s Africa Cup of Nations success and their World Cup quarter-final run.
Lamine Yamal	Barcelona	Spain	Recorded 24 goals in 45 Barcelona games during their title-winning campaign. Managed a hamstring issue at the start of the World Cup before becoming increasingly important in Spain’s winning run.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia	Paris Saint-Germain	Georgia	Key figure in PSG’s second consecutive Champions League win, delivering 10 goals and six assists in Europe.
Marquinhos	Paris Saint-Germain	Brazil	The 32-year-old defender made 32 appearances, split equally between Ligue 1 and the Champions League, as PSG won both competitions.
Sadio Mané	Al Nassr	Senegal	Earns a fifth nomination after 14 goals in 36 matches for Saudi Pro League champions Al Nassr and a run to the Africa Cup of Nations final with Senegal.
Lautaro Martínez	Inter Milan	Argentina	Won Serie A and the Coppa Italia, finished as the league’s leading scorer and was named its best striker. Scored three World Cup goals as Argentina reached the final.
Kylian Mbappé	Real Madrid	France	Finished with 42 goals in 44 Madrid games and won the World Cup Golden Boot with 10 goals for France. Madrid did not win a trophy for a second year running.
Nuno Mendes	Paris Saint-Germain	Portugal	League and Champions League double winner with PSG, continuing his standing among the leading left-backs in the game.
Lionel Messi	Inter Miami	Argentina	A record 17th nomination gives the 39-year-old a chance of a ninth award. He registered eight goals and four assists in eight World Cup matches as Argentina lost the final to Spain.
Michael Olise	Bayern Munich	France	After finishing 30th in 2025 voting, he helped Bayern to the Bundesliga and supplied seven assists during France’s World Cup semi-final run, three more than any other player.
João Neves	Paris Saint-Germain	Portugal	The 21-year-old midfielder was central to PSG’s Ligue 1 and Champions League double.
Willian Pacho	Paris Saint-Germain	Ecuador	Made 44 appearances during PSG’s domestic and European double-winning season.
Julián Quiñones	Al Qadsiah	Mexico	Scored 33 Saudi Pro League goals, finishing ahead of Ivan Toney and Cristiano Ronaldo, then added four for Mexico at the World Cup.
Declan Rice	Arsenal	England	Premier League champion with five goals and 11 assists. Started each of England’s seven World Cup games and scored in the third-place match against France.
Rodri	Manchester City / Barcelona	Spain	The 2024 winner recovered form for Spain’s World Cup-winning campaign after a modest club season, then joined Barcelona in a £65 million move.
Fabián Ruiz	Paris Saint-Germain	Spain	Added a World Cup to honours including the European Championship, Nations League, Champions League and league titles after a major season for PSG and Spain.
Ferran Torres	Barcelona / Paris Saint-Germain	Spain	Scored 21 goals in 49 games during Barcelona’s league-winning season, then struck Spain’s winning goal against Argentina in the World Cup final before joining PSG.
William Saliba	Arsenal	France	Formed Arsenal’s title-winning central-defensive partnership with Gabriel.
Dayot Upamecano	Bayern Munich	France	Bundesliga champion and team-of-the-year selection after 24 Bayern appearances. France conceded two goals across his eight World Cup outings before Spain beat them in the semi-finals.
Vinícius Júnior	Real Madrid	Brazil	Scored 22 times in 53 Madrid appearances, then posted four goals and an assist for Brazil at the World Cup.
Vitinha	Paris Saint-Germain	Portugal	Made 50 PSG appearances and scored seven goals during the double, earning places in the Ligue 1 and Champions League teams of the season.

Women’s Ballon d’Or Féminin shortlist

Player	Club	Nation	2025-26 case
Selma Bacha	OL Lyonnes	France	Provided 13 assists as Lyonnes completed a domestic treble and reached another Champions League final.
Barbra Banda	Orlando Pride	Zambia	Produced 14 goals in 21 games.
Klara Bühl	Bayern Munich	Germany	Recorded 10 goals and 23 assists in 37 matches during Bayern’s domestic treble.
Esmee Brugts	Barcelona	Netherlands	First nomination after 13 goals and 11 assists in 48 games for Barcelona’s quadruple-winning team.
Mariona Caldentey	Arsenal	Spain	Helped Arsenal win the inaugural Champions Cup and Spain retain the Nations League.
Scarlett Camberos	Club América	Mexico	The first Mexican woman nominated for the award, after 27 goals and seven assists in Club América’s CONCACAF Women’s Champions Cup victory.
Kerstin Casparij	Manchester City	Netherlands	Regular starter in City’s Women’s Super League-winning side, contributing seven assists and another FA Cup.
Temwa Chawinga	Kansas City Current	Malawi	Scored 15 goals as Kansas City secured the NWSL Shield.
Cata Coll	Barcelona	Spain	Kept 23 clean sheets and conceded only 18 goals in 39 matches during Barcelona’s quadruple, including a shutout in the Champions League final.
Melchie Dumornay	OL Lyonnes	Haiti	Première Ligue Player of the Year after 21 goals and 12 assists, helping Lyonnes to another European final.
Caroline Graham Hansen	Barcelona	Norway	Contributed 17 goals and 16 assists in 45 appearances for the quadruple winners.
Alex Greenwood	Manchester City	England	Captained City during their WSL and FA Cup double, the latter sealed with a 4-0 Wembley win over Brighton.
Patri Guijarro	Barcelona	Spain	Remained a pivotal midfield player through Barcelona’s trophy-laden campaign despite injuries and squad changes.
Pernille Harder	Bayern Munich	Denmark	Posted 35 goals and 12 assists during Bayern’s domestic treble and continued a title-winning sequence stretching back to 2016.
Yui Hasegawa	Manchester City	Japan	Started 20 WSL games for City and won her 100th Japan cap during the country’s victorious Women’s Asia Cup campaign.
Rose Lavelle	Gotham FC	United States	Returned 14 goals and five assists in 40 games as Gotham won the NWSL Challenge Cup.
Mapi León	Barcelona / London City Lionesses	Spain	Started 10 of Barcelona’s 11 Champions League matches as they won a fourth European title, before moving to London City Lionesses.
Lorena	Kansas City Current	Brazil	First-choice goalkeeper for club and country, and also shortlisted for Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year.
Melvine Malard	Manchester United / Chelsea	France	Four goals and four assists in eight European matches helped United reach the Champions League quarter-finals in their first campaign in the competition before her move to Chelsea.
Manaka Matsukubo	North Carolina Courage / Chelsea	Japan	After being named 2025 NWSL midfielder of the year, she began 2026 with five goals and four assists in nine matches before joining Chelsea in July. She also won the Women’s Asia Cup.
Vivianne Miedema	Manchester City	Netherlands	Scored 10 goals after starting all but three league fixtures as City won their first WSL title in a decade.
Ewa Pajor	Barcelona	Poland	Led the Women’s Champions League scoring chart with 11 goals in 10 appearances and is among the principal contenders.
Clàudia Pina	Barcelona	Spain	Finished as Liga F’s leading scorer after 21 goals in 27 games.
Alexia Putellas	Barcelona / London City Lionesses	Spain	Aiming for a third Ballon d’Or Féminin after captaining Barcelona to another quadruple, before ending a 12-year Barcelona spell for London City Lionesses.
Wendie Renard	OL Lyonnes	France	The 36-year-old was one victory short of a record ninth Champions League crown as Lyonnes lost the final to Barcelona.
Alessia Russo	Arsenal	England	Registered 18 goal contributions in 22 WSL appearances and is one of only two England players on the list, alongside Greenwood.
Khadija “Bunny” Shaw	Manchester City	Jamaica	Top scorer in the WSL with 21 goals as City did not have European football.
Momoko Tanikawa	Bayern Munich	Japan	The 21-year-old helped Bayern reach the Champions League semi-finals and won the Women’s Asia Cup with Japan.
Caroline Weir	Real Madrid / OL Lyonnes	Scotland	Follows her historic 2025 nomination with another after 14 Liga F goals for Madrid; she joined Lyonnes in June.
Tessa Wullaert	Inter Milan	Belgium	Scored a league-high 14 goals in Italy, although Inter finished behind AS Roma in the Women’s Serie A title race.

Other award shortlists

The ceremony will also recognise leading clubs, coaches, goalkeepers, young players, scorers and players making exceptional humanitarian or social contributions.

Men’s young player award

Kerim Alajbegović — RB Salzburg / Juventus
Ayyoub Bouaddi — Lille / Manchester City
Pau Cubarsí — Barcelona
Yan Diomande — RB Leipzig / Real Madrid
Lennart Karl — Bayern Munich
Junior Kroupi — AFC Bournemouth
Lamine Yamal — Barcelona
Johan Manzambi — Freiburg / Aston Villa
Ibrahim Maza — Bayer Leverkusen
Warren Zaïre-Emery — Paris Saint-Germain

Women’s young player award

Veerle Buurman — Chelsea
Vicky López — Barcelona
Felicia Schröder — BK Häcken / Real Madrid
Clara Serrajordi — Barcelona
Lily Yohannes — OL Lyonnes

Men’s goalkeeper of the year

Yassine Bounou — Al Hilal
Thibaut Courtois — Real Madrid
Joan García — Barcelona
Gregor Kobel — Borussia Dortmund
Emiliano Martínez — Aston Villa / Chelsea
Édouard Mendy — Al Ahli
David Raya — Arsenal
Matvei Safonov — Paris Saint-Germain
Unai Simón — Athletic Club
Vozinha — Chaves / Colo Colo

Women’s goalkeeper of the year

Ann-Katrin Berger — Gotham FC
Cata Coll — Barcelona
Hannah Hampton — Chelsea
Lorena — Kansas City Current
Ayaka Yamashita — Manchester City

Men’s coach of the year

Mikel Arteta — Arsenal
Luis de la Fuente — Spain
Unai Emery — Aston Villa
Vincent Kompany — Bayern Munich
Luis Enrique — Paris Saint-Germain

Women’s coach of the year

Jonatan Giráldez — OL Lyonnes
Andrée Jeglertz — Manchester City
Nils Nielsen — Japan
Pere Romeu — Barcelona
Elena Sadiku — Celtic / BK Häcken

Men’s club of the year

Arsenal
Bayern Munich
Bodø/Glimt
Flamengo
Paris Saint-Germain

Women’s club of the year

Barcelona
Bayern Munich
Club América
Manchester City
OL Lyonnes

What comes next

The winners will be revealed in London on 26 October, with the leading candidates set to be judged against a season containing title races, PSG and Barcelona’s European success, and a World Cup won by Spain.