Seventy-Sixth Ballon d'Or Ceremony Returns to London as Debate Heats Up Over Top Contenders

UPDATE - follow-up to Ballon d'Or 2026: updates from 70th edition in London – live: The 70th edition of the Ballon d'Or ceremony takes place in London, returning to England to honour Stanley Matthews who won the inaugural award 70 years ago.

The Contenders

Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Alexia Putellas, and Barbra Banda are among the key names featured on the shortlists for this year's awards. Brazil legend Ronaldo will present the men's award, while previous winners like Putellas are in attendance at the London venue. Meanwhile, a website leak showed articles lauding Harry Kane, Mbappé, and Lamine ahead of the final results.

Voting and Debate

One journalist from each of the top 100 countries in the Fifa rankings will decide the winners of this year's prizes. Fan debate centres on whether consistent goalscoring or big-game impact should dictate the winner, with questions raised over player performances in domestic leagues versus major international tournaments.

Context

The Ballon d'Or is an annual football award presented by French magazine France Football since 1956 to honour the best-performing player over the previous season. The ceremony rotates locations and occasionally sparks fierce debate among fans and pundits over player criteria.