The Ballon d’Or ceremony is the most prestigious award in world football, as it decides the world’s best male and female footballers every year. Besides the men’s and women’s top prizes, the ceremony also includes Young Talent of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year, Coach of the Year, Club of the Year, Striker of the Year (in both men’s and women’s categories) and the Sócrates Award (presented for solidarity initiatives and societal causes).
But there are a lot of firsts in 2026. For the first time, the Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held in London, instead in their traditional location in Paris. The glitzy awards night at the London Palladium, will also witness the addition of a new prize: the B.O.A.T. (of All Time).
Instead of being voted by the panel of journalists like the traditional awards, the winner of B.O.A.T. has been exclusively designed by public votes to celebrate the passion of the supports globally.
Unlike the rest of the awards, ” of All Time”, is neither a physical trophy nor an official award. Instead, it will be determined by a public vote for their all-time favorite Ballon d’Or winner. The voting remains open on the official website (ballondor.com), and the final results chosen by the fans will be unveiled on October 28.
However, not all players will be eligible for B.O.A.T.. It has been designed for the players who have lifted the Ballon d’Or trophy twice or more in history. Argentina’s is the all-time leading Ballon d’Or winner with eight trophies to his name, followed by Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo – 5.
Besides Messi and , other legends eligible for B.O.A.T. are Johan Cruyff (Netherlands), Michel Platini (France), Marco van Basten (Netherlands), Alfredo di Stefano (Argentina), Franz Beckenbauer (Germany), Kevin Keegan (England), Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (Germany) and Ronaldo (Brazil).
The launch B.O.A.T. has sparked immense global interest and also created a confusion among the fans whether B.O.A.T. and Super Ballon d’Or are same or not? According to the official Ballon d’Or website, “they are two entirely distinct initiatives with no connection between them”.
Unlike the B.O.A.T., the Super Ballon d’Or was an official, physical, and historic trophy awarded by France Football only once in history. The first and only time Super Ballon d’Or was awarded was in December 1989 to the best multiple Ballon d’Or winner of the previous three decades.
Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stéfano was presented the only Super Ballon d’Or in history, after the Argentine topped the voting ahead of icons Cruyff and Platini. Since then, the Super Ballon d’Or has never been awarded again. There is no no official date set for a second edition.
