Organisers of the Ballon d'Or in an official statement have confirmed the official date as well as the venue of the 2026 edition of the ceremony.
Arguably one of football's most coveted individual award, the Ballon d'Or, is set to take place outside Paris for its latest edition which will be marking a milestone this year.
Founded by France Football in 1956, the Ballon d'Or awards turns 70 in 2026, and to mark the occasion, organisers have chosen London as the host city for the very first time, with the ceremony date set for 26 October.
According to reports the decision carries a deliberate sense of history. Sir Stanley Matthews, the English winger who claimed the inaugural prize seven decades ago, makes England a fitting stage for this anniversary edition.
Now run jointly with UEFA since 2024, and still presented by France Football under the L'Équipe Group, the Ballon d'Or will take centre stage when it comes to debate following the victory of Dembele in 2025.
Ballon d'Or 2026 Power Rankings: Full Top 20
| Ballon d'Or Power Rankings | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Player | Club | Country | Position |
| 1. | Ousmane Dembele | Paris Saint-Germain | France | Forward |
| 2. | Harry Kane | Bayern Munich | England | Forward |
| 3. | Lamine Yamal | Barcelona | Spain | Forward |
| 4. | Declan Rice | Arsenal | England | Midfielder |
| 5. | Khvicha Kvaratskhelia | Paris Saint-Germain | Georgia | Forward |
| 6. | Michael Olise | Bayern Munich | France | Forward |
| 7. | Kylian Mbappe | Real Madrid | France | Forward |
| 8. | Vitinha | Paris Saint-Germain | Portugal | Midfielder |
| 9. | Luis Diaz | Bayern Munich | Colombia | Forward |
| 10. | Erling Haaland | Manchester City | Norway | Forward |
| 11. | Pedri | Barcelona | Spain | Midfielder |
| 12. | David Raya | Arsenal | Spain | Goalkeeper |
| 13. | Vinicius Jr | Real Madrid | Brazil | Forward |
| 14. | Bruno Fernandes | Manchester United | Portugal | Midfielder |
| 15. | Raphinha | Barcelona | Brazil | Forward |
| 16. | Lionel Messi | Inter Miami | Argentina | Forward |
| 17. | Gabriel Magalhães | Arsenal | Brazil | Defender |
| 18. | Desire Doue | Paris Saint-Germain | France | Forward |
| 19. | Joao Neves | Paris Saint-Germain | Portugal | Midfielder |
| 20. | Julian Alvarez | Atletico Madrid | Argentina | Forwar |
Read the Latest on the 2026 World Cup and Get Fresh updates as they drop via X and Facebook.
