The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony takes place Monday, October 26, at the London Palladium in London, England, with Lionel Messi, Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal among the 30 nominees competing for the men’s award.

This year’s ceremony marks the 70th anniversary of the Ballon d’Or, which was first awarded in 1956 to English soccer legend Sir Stanley Matthews.

Organizers moved the ceremony to London for the anniversary celebration, with awards recognizing the top players, coaches, goalkeepers, and clubs from the 2025-26 season.

How to Watch the 2026 Ballon d’Or Ceremony Live

DAZN will stream the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony.

The red carpet begins at 3 p.m. ET, followed by the awards ceremony at 4 p.m. ET.

Date: Monday, October 26, 2026

Location: London Palladium, London, England

Red carpet: 3 p.m. ET

Awards ceremony: 4 p.m. ET

Streaming: DAZN

The ceremony will recognize winners across 11 categories, including the men’s and women’s Ballon d’Or awards, goalkeeper honors, coaching awards, and club awards.

How Does Ballon d’Or 2026 Voting Work?

Ballon d’Or voting considers three factors: individual performances, team achievements and career accomplishments.

A panel of 100 sports journalists votes for the men’s award, while 50 journalists select the women’s winner.

Each journalist ranks 10 players, with points assigned based on placement.

Ranking

Points

1st 15

2nd 12

3rd 10

4th 8

5th 7

6th 5

7th 4

8th 3

9th 2

10th 1

The player who receives the highest total wins the award.

The Kopa Trophy, which recognizes the best young player, uses a different voting system. Former Ballon d’Or winners serve on the jury for that award.

Ballon d’Or 2026: Full Men’s Nominees List

Thirty players received nominations for the men’s Ballon d’Or.

Messi, Kane and Yamal are among the nominees, alongside Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé, Manchester City striker Erling Haaland and Paris Saint-Germain forward Ousmane Dembélé.

The complete list includes:

Jude Bellingham — England, Real Madrid
Pau Cubarsí — Spain, Barcelona
Marc Cucurella — Spain, Chelsea/Real Madrid
Ousmane Dembélé — France, Paris Saint-Germain
Luis Díaz — Colombia, Bayern München
Bruno Fernandes — Portugal, Manchester United
Gabriel — Brazil, Arsenal
Erling Haaland — Norway, Manchester City
Achraf Hakimi — Morocco, Paris Saint-Germain
Harry Kane — England, Bayern München
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia — Georgia, Paris Saint-Germain
Lamine Yamal — Spain, Barcelona
Sadio Mané — Senegal, Al-Nassr
Marquinhos — Brazil, Paris Saint-Germain
Lautaro Martínez — Argentina, Inter
Kylian Mbappé — France, Real Madrid
Nuno Mendes — Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain
Lionel Messi — Argentina, Inter Miami
João Neves — Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain
Michael Olise — France, Bayern München
Willian Pacho — Ecuador, Paris Saint-Germain
Julián Quiñones — Mexico, Al-Qadsiah
Declan Rice — England, Arsenal
Rodri — Spain, Manchester City/Barcelona
Fabián Ruiz — Spain, Paris Saint-Germain
William Saliba — France, Arsenal
Ferran Torres — Spain, Barcelona/Paris Saint-Germain
Dayot Upamecano — France, Bayern München
Vinícius Júnior — Brazil, Real Madrid
Vitinha — Portugal, Paris Saint-Germain

Ballon d’Or 2026: Full Women’s Nominees List

The women’s Ballon d’Or also features 30 nominees representing clubs across Europe and the United States.

Among the nominees are Barcelona’s Ewa Pajor, Arsenal’s Alessia Russo and Gotham FC midfielder Rose Lavelle.

The complete list includes:

Selma Bacha — France, OL Lyonnes
Barbra Banda — Zambia, Orlando Pride
Esmee Brugts — Netherlands, Barcelona
Klara Bühl — Germany, Bayern München
Mariona Caldentey — Spain, Arsenal
Scarlett Camberos — Mexico, Club América
Kerstin Casparij — Netherlands, Manchester City
Temwa Chawinga — Malawi, Kansas City Current
Cata Coll — Spain, Barcelona
Melchie Dumornay — Haiti, OL Lyonnes
Caroline Graham Hansen — Norway, Barcelona
Alex Greenwood — England, Manchester City
Patri Guijarro — Spain, Barcelona
Pernille Harder — Denmark, Bayern München
Yui Hasegawa — Japan, Manchester City
Rose Lavelle — United States, Gotham FC
Mapi León — Spain, Barcelona/London City Lionesses
Lorena — Brazil, Kansas City Current
Melvine Malard — France, Manchester United/Chelsea
Manaka Matsukubo — Japan, North Carolina Courage/Chelsea
Vivianne Miedema — Netherlands, Manchester City
Ewa Pajor — Poland, Barcelona
Clàudia Pina — Spain, Barcelona
Alexia Putellas — Spain, Barcelona/London City Lionesses
Wendie Renard — France, OL Lyonnes
Alessia Russo — England, Arsenal
Khadija Shaw — Jamaica, Manchester City
Momoko Tanikawa — Japan, Bayern München
Caroline Weir — Scotland, Real Madrid/OL Lyonnes
Tessa Wullaert — Belgium, Inter/Como

Ballon d’Or 2026 Young Player and Goalkeeper Nominees

The ceremony will also recognize the best young players and goalkeepers in men’s and women’s soccer.

Men’s Young Talent of the Year nominees:

Kerim Alajbegović, Ayyoub Bouaddi, Pau Cubarsí, Yan Diomandé, Lennart Karl, Éli Junior Kroupi, Lamine Yamal, Johan Manzambi, Ibrahim Maza and Warren Zaïre-Emery.

Women’s Young Talent of the Year nominees:

Veerle Buurman, Vicky López, Felicia Schröder, Clara Serrajordi and Lily Yohannes.

Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year nominees:

Yassine Bounou, Thibaut Courtois, Joan García, Gregor Kobel, Emiliano Martínez, Édouard Mendy, David Raya, Matvey Safonov, Unai Simón and Vozinha.

Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year nominees:

Ann-Katrin Berger, Cata Coll, Hannah Hampton, Lorena and Ayaka Yamashita.

Which Coaches and Clubs Are Nominated for Ballon d’Or 2026 Awards?

Five coaches received nominations in each coaching category, while five clubs will compete for the men’s and women’s Club of the Year awards.

Men’s Coach of the Year:

Mikel Arteta, Luis de la Fuente, Unai Emery, Vincent Kompany and Luis Enrique.

Women’s Coach of the Year:

Jonatan Giráldez, Andrée Jeglertz, Nils Nielsen, Pere Romeu and Elena Sadiku.

Men’s Club of the Year:

Arsenal, Bayern München, Bodø/Glimt, Flamengo and Paris Saint-Germain.

Women’s Club of the Year:

Barcelona, Bayern München, Club América, Manchester City and OL Lyonnes.

The ceremony will also include the Socrates Award, presented by L’Équipe and Peace and Sport. The honor recognizes athletes who support solidarity initiatives and social causes.

The 2026 Ballon d’Or winners will be announced during Monday’s ceremony, beginning at 4 p.m. ET on DAZN.