London Hosts 70th Ballon d'Or Ceremony With Harry Kane as Favorite

The 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony is set to take place on Monday, Oct. 26, 2026, at the London Palladium Theatre in London, England. The prestigious annual event honors the best soccer players in the world across multiple categories, with festivities beginning at 3 p.m. ET or 4 p.m. ET depending on broadcast timelines, and the main men's and women's awards announced in the late afternoon.

English striker Harry Kane enters the evening as the bookmakers' favorite to claim the men's Ballon d'Or. If successful, he would join Sir Stanley Matthews, Sir Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan, and Michael Owen as only the fifth Englishman to win the award. Kane enjoyed a stellar campaign with Bayern Munich, scoring 61 goals in all competitions and helping secure a domestic league and cup double, in addition to finishing third with England at the World Cup.

Competition for the men's trophy remains tight, with Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé viewed as a primary challenger. Mbappé scored 42 goals in 44 games for Madrid last season and added ten more over the summer, arriving in London fresh off scoring twice in a Clásico victory against Barcelona. Lamine Yamal of Barcelona is widely regarded as the third favorite following a strong season where he helped his club retain the La Liga title and played a key role in Spain's World Cup victory.

Lionel Messi also returned to the 30-player shortlist for the first time in three years, following a standout season with Inter Miami that included capturing a maiden MLS Cup and guiding Argentina to the World Cup final. Meanwhile, Paris Saint-Germain holds the largest representation of any club among the nominees following their consecutive Champions League titles, though injuries have impacted their delegation's travel plans.

Paris Saint-Germain forward Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will miss the ceremony after sustaining a serious knee injury during a 4-2 Champions League victory over Barcelona. Kvaratskhelia, who was named the best player in the Champions League last season, is set to undergo surgery in Doha. His teammate Marquinhos will also remain in Paris due to a thigh injury to attend a Ligue 1 fixture against Lyon, while Ousmane Dembélé is expected to travel to London with his family despite recovering from a hamstring issue.

In addition to the primary men's and women's Ballon d'Or prizes, the gala features numerous accolades including the Kopa Trophy for young players, the Yashin Trophy for goalkeepers, the Johan Cruyff Trophy for coaches, the Gerd Müller Trophy for top strikers, and the Socrates Award for humanitarian work, alongside honors for club of the year. The ceremony is hosted by Thierry Henry and Kate Scott, with live broadcasts available globally through free streaming on DAZN and various regional television partners.