70th Ballon d’Or: Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappe and Rodri are all competiting for the top award

The biggest individual awards night in football is here, as the 70th Ballon d’Or ceremony takes place at the London Palladium tonight.

For the first time in the award’s history, the ceremony is being held in London rather than Paris, with the occasion also paying tribute to Sir Stanley Matthews, the inaugural winner back in 1956.

The evening will celebrate the outstanding performers across men’s and women’s football, alongside awards recognising young talent, goalkeepers, coaches and clubs.

The men’s prize promises to be one of the biggest talking points of the night, with England captain Harry Kane, Barcelona sensation Lamine Yamal and France superstar Kylian Mbappé among the leading contenders.

Kane is chasing a historic triumph that would make him the first English winner since Michael Owen in 2001, while Yamal has another opportunity to underline his status as one of the defining talents of the next generation.

Mbappé, meanwhile, will hope his outstanding individual performances have finally earned him the game's most prestigious individual honour. With several elite players in contention, the final result is sure to generate plenty of debate.

There is plenty to look forward to beyond the men’s headline award, too.

The women’s Ballon d’Or is another major attraction, with Alexia Putellas, Melchie Dumornay and other leading names featuring in the conversation, while the Kopa Trophy and Yashin Trophy will recognise the best young player and goalkeeper respectively.

Hosted by Thierry Henry and Kate Scott, the ceremony should deliver a fitting celebration of the season’s finest individual and team achievements.

With football’s biggest stars gathering in the capital, the question is whether the night will belong to an English goal-scoring machine, a teenage phenomenon or one of the other global superstars.

Here is everything you need to know.

What time does it start?

The main ceremony starts at 8pm on Monday, October 26.

Coverage starts at 7pm.

How can I watch?

The ceremony is being shown on DAZN where you can stream it for free.

You may need to register for a free account.

Men's nominations

• Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid and England)
• Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona and Spain)
• Marc Cucurella (Chelsea/Real Madrid and Spain)
• Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain and France)
• Luis Diaz (Bayern Munich and Colombia)
• Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United and Portugal)
• Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal and Brazil)
• Erling Haaland (Manchester City and Norway)
• Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint-Germain and Morocco)
• Harry Kane (Bayern Munich and England)
• Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Paris Saint-Germain and Georgia)
• Lamine Yamal (Barcelona and Spain)
• Sadio Mane (Al Nassr and Senegal)
• Marquinhos (Paris Saint-Germain and Brazil)
• Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan and Argentina)
• Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid and France)
• Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal)
• Lionel Messi (Inter Miami and Argentina)
• Joao Neves (Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal)
• Michael Olise (Bayern Munich and France)
• Willian Pacho (Paris Saint-Germain and Ecuador)
• Julian Quinones (Al Qadsiah and Mexico)
• Declan Rice (Arsenal and England)
• Rodri (Manchester City/Barcelona and Spain)
• Fabian Ruiz (Barcelona/Paris Saint-Germain and Spain)
• William Saliba (Arsenal and France)
• Ferran Torres (Barcelona/Paris Saint-Germain and Spain)
• Dayot Upamecano ( Bayern Munich and France)
• Vinicius Jr (Real Madrid and Brazil)
• Vitinha (Paris Saint-Germain and Portugal)