Ballon d'Or 2026 ceremony shifts to England, women's award hosted by Lucy Tough Bronze

UPDATE - follow-up to Ballon d'Or 2026: updates from 70th edition in London – live: The 70th‑edition Ballon d’Or ceremony has been pushed back to an 8.45 pm GMT start and moved back to England as a tribute to Stanley Matthews. Lucy Tough Bronze takes the stage to present the women’s Ballon d’Or, with Bunny Shaw and Caroline Graham Hansen confirmed as nominees. Former winner Andriy Shevchenko appears to hand out a prize, noting that while technology has changed, talent still needs hard work, discipline and self‑belief. A special 70th‑anniversary award for social activism will be handed out before the young‑talent award. The men’s shortlist features Kerim Alajbegovic (Bosnia & Herzegovina, RB Salzburg/Juventus) and Yan Diomande (Ivory Coast, RB Leipzig/Real Madrid). commentator Matthew Elliott argued that past winners should be made ineligible, which would have opened the podium to players such as Sneijder, Ribery, Iniesta, Neymar and Luis Suarez. DAZN has interviewed Michael Owen after the death of Kevin Keegan; Owen praised his own win but said teammate Pau Cubarsi deserved the award. Jorja Smith performs “Blue Lights” while Burna Boy watches from the audience. Lamine Yamal makes a brief entrance, briefly clashing with a cameraman and security.## Context The ceremony’s return to England highlights the event’s historic roots while spotlighting emerging talent across men’s and women’s football.