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The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony has been scheduled to take place in London on October 26 for the first time, marking the 70th anniversary of the trophy’s first award to England’s Stanley Matthews in 1956.
The organisers of the ceremony made the announcement on Thursday. The Ballon d’Or remains the most prestigious individual award in football and was dominated for many years by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Paris Saint-Germain winger Ousmane Dembele won last year at a ceremony held in Paris by Groupe L’Equipe, the owner of the France Football magazine. The venue for the 2026 ceremony in London has not been revealed.
Messi currently owns the record for the most Ballon d’Or awards in football history, after winning the prestigious prize eight times, which were in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, and 2023. He also has won the Ballon d’Or five times, in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017.
Messi redefined attacking football with his creativity, dribbling ability, playmaking vision, and goal-scoring consistency.
Ronaldo, who has also won the Ballon d’Or, has achievements that reflect years of excellence at the highest level of European football, where he became known for his athleticism, powerful finishing, consistency, and record-breaking performances in major competitions.
