Ballon d'Or 2026: Date, Nominees, Favorites and How Voting Works

Soccer's most famous individual award has a new home this year. The 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony takes place on Monday, October 26, at the London Palladium, the first time the event has been held outside France. The location honors Sir Stanley Matthews, the English winger who won the first Ballon d'Or.

What the night does not have is a sure winner. Unlike years when one name ran away with the vote, 2026 is wide open, and the debate has been as fierce off the field as on it.

The Favorites

Harry Kane

Harry Kane enters as the bookmakers' favorite. The Bayern Munich and England striker put together a monster 2025-26 season, scoring at a rate few strikers in history have matched. He is still doing it this fall, scoring a penalty and carrying Bayern's attack in a Champions League draw with Arsenal this week.

The knock on Kane has always been trophies at the very highest level. Voters must decide how much individual brilliance should outweigh silverware.

Kylian Mbappé

Kylian Mbappé leads the shortlist alongside Kane. The Real Madrid superstar has been one of the world's most productive forwards and has long been seen as a future winner.

Lamine Yamal

Lamine Yamal is again in the conversation. The Barcelona teenager has already established himself as one of the most exciting players in the sport.

The Rest of the Field

• Ousmane Dembélé, the 2025 winner, is nominated again.
• Paris Saint-Germain has the most players on the 30-man shortlist, with 10 nominees, after a season as French and European champions.
• Lionel Messi is on the list but viewed as an outsider.

The Women's Award and Other Prizes

The Ballon d'Or Féminin is just as compelling. Alexia Putellas, now playing for London City Lionesses, is among the favorites.

The men's coach of the year shortlist features Luis Enrique, Vincent Kompany, Mikel Arteta, Luis de la Fuente and Unai Emery. Kompany's nomination comes in a difficult week: the Bayern Munich coach was taken to hospital for tests after collapsing at training on Friday.

In the goalkeeping category, Cape Verde's Vozinha earned a nomination for his performances at the World Cup.

How Ballon d'Or Voting Works

The award is organized by France Football, the French magazine that created it in 1956, together with UEFA. Under the modern format:

• One journalist from each of the top 100 nations in the FIFA men's rankings casts a vote.
• Players are judged on the season, from August to July, instead of the calendar year.
• Voters weigh individual performance first, then team success and overall class and fair play.

That season-based window explains why the summer's World Cup looms so large over this year's vote.

How to Watch in the USA

The ceremony takes place Monday evening in London, which typically means an afternoon start on the East Coast. Check your local listings for the exact time and streaming details closer to the event.

For more on the world's game, follow our soccer coverage. Other awards and title races are heating up too, like Kimi Antonelli's push for the F1 crown.

Related reading: Champions League Matchday 3 recap and the Manchester United crisis.