The 2026 Ballon d'Or winner will be announced on Monday night at a glittering ceremony in London.
The 70th staging of the event will be the first to be held outside of France, with it moving to England as a tribute to Stanley Matthews, who won the first ever Ballon d'Or in 1956.
With Harry Kane among the favourites for the men's award, that choice of location could yet prove to be particularly apt.
Kane will face stiff opposition from Spanish wonderkid Lamine Yamal, his Bayern Munich teammate Michael Olise, Kylian Mbappe, or any number of Paris Saint-Germain players. The French and European champions have no fewer than 10 nominees on the 30-man shortlist.
Argentine great Lionel Messi is also in the running after a spectacular World Cup, but is considered an outsider now that he plays his club football in the US for Inter Miami. There is no place on the list for his great rival Cristiano Ronaldo.
Here's everything you need to know about the 2026 Ballon d'Or.
What is the Ballon d'Or?
The accolade is regarded as a way to crown the best player in the world, and is therefore the highest individual honour a footballer can achieve.
In what is now a joint partnership between Uefa, France Football and L'Equipe, the 2026 Ballon d'Or awards will honour last season's best players, coaches and clubs, in addition to the top scorer, goalkeeper, young player and humanitarian.
Presented annually by France Football since 1956, the Ballon d'Or started as a way to reward the world's best male player. It has expanded over the years and has become more like football's answer to the Oscars, with female players, coaches and teams all now invited to the party.
It was first won in 1956 by the Englishman Matthews, who edged out the Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano, who would claim it the following year.
Messi has won it the most times, with eight in his trophy cabinet, ahead of Ronaldo, who has five.
The award is now based on the results of last season instead of the calendar year. This is the period from August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026, with the window concluding after the summer's World Cup final.
How is the Ballon d'Or decided?
Although the event is now a joint effort, France Football, the originators of the Ballon d'Or, retain their voting system and it is decided as follows:
The award is based on three main criteria: 1. Individual performances, decisive and impressive character; 2. Team performances and achievements; 3. Class and fair play.
The decision is made by an international jury of journalists, with one representative per country – from the top 100 in the latest Fifa rankings for men and the top 50 for women.
Each juror selects 10 players in descending order of merit from a list of 30 established by the editorial staff of France Football and L'Equipe.
The Ballon d'Or is awarded to the player with the highest number of points. In the case of a tie, the players are separated by the number of first-place votes. If the tie remains, they are separated by the number of second-place votes, then by the number of third-place votes, and so on.
When is the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony?
The 70th edition of the awards will take place on Monday, October 26, at the London Palladium Theatre. The ceremony will begin at 8pm local time (11pm UAE). It will be hosted by Kate Scott and Thierry Henry.
Who is nominated for the 2026 Ballon d'Or?
Men: Ousmane Dembele, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Marquinhos, Nuno Mendes, Joao Neves, Willian Pacho, Fabian Ruiz, Vitinha, Ferran Torres (all PSG), Luis Diaz, Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Dayot Upamecano (all Bayern Munich), Jude Bellingham, Marc Cucurella, Kylian Mbappe, Vinicius Junior (all Real Madrid), Pau Cubarsi, Lamine Yamal, Rodri (all Barcelona), Gabriel Magalhaes, Declan Rice, William Saliba (all Arsenal), Erling Haaland (Man City), Bruno Fernandes (Man United), Lautaro Martinez (Inter Milan), Sadio Mane (Al Nassr), Julian Quinones (Al Qadsiah), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)
Women: Esmee Brugts, Cata Coll, Caroline Graham Hansen, Patri Guijarro, Ewa Pajor, Claudia Pina (all Barcelona), Kerstin Casparij, Alex Greenwood, Yui Hasegawa, Vivianne Miedema, Khadija Shaw (all Man City), Selma Bacha, Melchie Dumornay, Caroline Weir, Wendie Renard (all OL Lyonnes), Klara Buhl, Pernille Harder, Momoko Tanikawa (all Bayern Munich), Mariona Caldente, Alessia Russo (both Arsenal), Melvine Malard, Manaka Matsukubo (both Chelsea), Temwa Chawinga, Lorena (both Kansas City), Mapi Leon, Alexia Putellas (both London City Lionesses), Scarlett Camberos (Club America), Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC), Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride), Tessa Wullaert (Como)
Lev Yashin Award for goalkeepers: Yassine Bounou (Al Hilal), Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Joan Garcia (Barcelona), Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund), Emiliano Martinez (Chelsea), Edouard Mendy (Al Ahli), David Raya (Arsenal), Matvey Safonov (PSG), Unai Simon (Athletic Club), Vozinha (Colo-Colo)
Men's coach of the year: Mikel Arteta (Arsenal), Luis de la Fuente (Spain), Unai Emery (Aston Villa), Vincent Kompany (Bayern Munich), Luis Enrique (PSG)
Women's coach of the year: Jonatan Giraldez (OL Lyonnes), Andree Jeglertz (Manchester City), Nils Nielsen (Japan – now unattached), Pere Romeu (Barcelona), Elena Sadiku (BK Hacken)
Men's club of the year: Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Bodo/Glimt, Flamengo, PSG
Women's club of the year: Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Club America, Manchester City, OL Lyonnes
How to watch the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony in the UAE
You can stream the entire event live and free worldwide on DAZN or directly through the official Ballon d'Or website. It is also being shown on beIN Sports.