- The 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony is scheduled for October 26 at the London Palladium Theatre, marking a historic shift away from Paris
- UEFA confirmed the London venue as a tribute to Stanley Matthews, the English forward who won the first-ever Ballon d'Or in 1956
- Harry Kane tops the betting markets ahead of Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi, with voting among football journalists already closed
The 2026 Ballon d'Or will be handed out on October 26 at the London Palladium Theatre, with co-organiser UEFA confirming the ceremony starts at 8 PM local time.
This year's edition marks the 70th anniversary of the award, breaking from decades of tradition, as the award ceremony has long been held in Paris.
Source: Getty Images
London was chosen as the host city in recognition of Stanley Matthews, the English forward who received the very first Ballon d'Or back in 1956.
Harry Kane leads Ballon d'Or prediction
According to Polymarket Sports, Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane currently sits at the top of the betting predictions heading into the ceremony.
Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal follows in second place, with Lionel Messi third despite spending the current period of his career outside European football. Kylian Mbappe and Rodri complete the top five in the predictions market.
Messi's presence in the top three shows that the eight-time winner is still giving young players a run for their money, while Mbappe continues to attract support from within French football circles.
The ballot among football journalists wrapped up on September 28, roughly a month before the London event. With all votes already cast and counted, the October 26 ceremony will function purely as the formal public announcement of a winner already determined on paper, as noted by UEFA.
Okocha picks Ballon d'Or winner
Legit.ng previously reported that Austin Jay-Jay Okocha picked Kylian Mbappe as the potential Ballon d'Or winner ahead of the award ceremony.
The African football legend claimed that even though there is no clear favourite for the award, Mbappe winning three Golden Boots makes a case for him.
Source: Legit.ng
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