The wait for the Ballon d’Or 2026 ceremony is almost over as stars from all over the world are set to come under one roof in London for the most prestigious award in football on Monday (Tuesday in India). The 70th edition of the award, established by the magazine France Football, will be hosted in England for the first time.
England captain Harry Kane is the favourite to win a wide open race to be crowned winner at a glitzy London ceremony, with Lamine Yamal and also in the running to be named the world’s best footballer in the men’s category.
Alexia Putellas is the frontrunner to win the women’s award for the third time with Aitana Bonmati suffering an injury-hit year. Putellas, winner in 2021 and 2022, was part of the that regained the Champions League last season before moving to London City Lionesses. Poland’s Ewa Pajor is the main challenger to Putellas.
Paris has been a traditional home to Ballon d’Or over the years. But the organisers shifted the venue to London Palladium in the United Kingdom, in honour of former England footballer Sir Stanley Matthews, who was the inaugural winner of the award in 1956.
Known as “The Wizard of Dribble” and “The Magician”, Matthews was the oldest player to play at the club level (50 years and five days), and also the oldest to make a national team debut. He made his England debut at 42 years and 104 days. At the club level, Matthews played 19 years at Stoke City from 1932 to 1947 and again from 1961 to 1965.
He also played for Blackpool for 14 years. Between 1934 and 1957, Matthews played 54 games for England, and featured in two FIFA World Cups in 1950 (Brazil) and 1954 (Switzerland).
Ballon d’Or organisers revealed that star US rapper French Montana and English singer Jorja Smith would perform at this year’s ceremony, part of efforts to draw more viewers to the awards event. Last year saw Canadian singer Charlotte Cardin do her best to lift the somewhat stiff atmosphere at the prize giving in Paris as she performed her hit “Feel Good” in front of a motionless crowd of suited footballers and VIPs at a theatre.
French Montana has over 30 million monthly listeners on Spotify, mixing Moroccan influences, trap, afrobeat and New York hip hop culture. English singer-songwriter Jorja Smith mixes RnB, soul and jazz influences, drawing on her Jamaican heritage and her classical music training.
The ceremony will be broadcast on sports streaming website DAZN, and the L’Equipe TV channel in France. It will be hosted by former France and Arsenal striker Thierry Henry, and sports journalist Kate Scott.
