The 2026 Ballon d’Or is breaking tradition by taking place in London instead of Paris, marking the first time in the award’s 70-year history that the ceremony is being held outside France.
The 2026 Ballon d’Or has become one of football’s most talked-about topics as several elite players establishing themselves as strong contenders, with no clear favourite emerging for one of the sport’s most prestigious individual honours. This year, the race is wide open, and the prospects have been immense.
The Ballon d’Or ceremony is associated with France, with Paris hosting the high-profile award show.
A-list superstars and athletes arrive in the French Capital to witness history being made and winners receive the awards for their contributions.
But this year, the organisers made a one-off decision to move the ceremony out of France, with England hosting the showcase.
Why is the Ballon d’Or moving out of France?
For the first time in its 70-year history, the Ballon d’Or organisers have decided to host the ceremony in London instead of Paris to commemorate the prestigious award’s 70th anniversary while also paying tribute to Sir Stanley Matthews, the first-ever Ballon d’Or winner.
Blackpool winger Matthews had won the prestigious individual award in 1956.
The decision to move the ceremony’s location to London, England, is a symbolic gesture which honoured the beginning of the Ballon d’Or tale.
More from Football NewsThe 2026 gala will take place at the London Palladium, with the event being observed as a special milestone for the prestigious award.
Why is the Ballon d’Or deeply associated with France?
The organisers is associated with Paris as it was created by French magazine ‘France Football’ and has has been hosted at the Thรฉรขtre du Chรขtelet since 2019.
Notably, the gala was jointly organised with FIFA in Zurich between 2010 and 2015.
This year, stars like Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, Rodri and current Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele have a stronghold in the race for the prestigious award.
The Ballon d’Or ceremony will start on Tuesday, October 27, 2026 at 01:30 AM IST. The red carpet will begin around 10:30 PM to 12:10 AM IST on Monday, October 26.