The Ballon d’Or is leaving Paris. For the first time in its 70-year history, the most prestigious individual award in football will be handed out in London on October 26.
Organisers UEFA and France Football confirmed the landmark decision on Thursday, ending the ceremony’s long-standing residency in the French capital. The move is a tribute to the award’s origins. Stanley Matthews, an Englishman, was the first ever Ballon d’Or winner in 1956. The choice of London honours that legacy while expanding the brand internationally.
“This symbolic choice of venue pays tribute to English footballer Sir Stanley Matthews, the award’s inaugural winner 70 years ago,” the official statement read.
A crowded race
Ousmane Dembele of Paris Saint-Germain is the defending champion, having claimed the 2025 prize for leading the French club to its first Champions League title. But the 2026 race is wide open.
Harry Kane enters the conversation with staggering numbers. The Bayern Munich striker has scored 61 goals and provided seven assists in 51 appearances across all competitions this season. He has also clinched the Bundesliga title, the DFB-Pokal and the European Golden Shoe.
The England captain is the bookmakers’ favourite at 5/2, and victory on home soil would make him the first English winner since Michael Owen in 2001. Kane leads several power rankings, including Goal’s list, ahead of Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
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Lamine Yamal finished runner-up in 2025 and remains a serious contender. The Barcelona sensation has 24 goals and 18 assists in 45 appearances this season, adding a La Liga title to his resume. Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland also feature prominently in most rankings, though Haaland’s mid-season goal drought and City’s early Champions League exit have damaged his campaign.
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An intriguing wildcard is Vitinha. The Portuguese midfielder finished third in last year’s voting and has been described by PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi as a player who “deserves” to win. Dutch legend Ruud Gullit recently called him “the engine of PSG’s midfield” and tipped him as a contender.
The World Cup decides everything
Unlike last year’s vote, which followed Dembele’s Champions League triumph, the 2026 ceremony comes after the FIFA World Cup in North America.
Performances in the tournament will be factored into voting. That means a star turn on the biggest stage could push an outsider to the front of the race. Kane, Mbappe, Yamal, Vitinha and others all have the opportunity to define their candidacy this summer.
For English football, the occasion is doubly significant. Not only does the ceremony arrive on home soil, but a homegrown player could lift the trophy for the first time in 25 years. For the rest of the world, the race is only just beginning.
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