France Football has announced that this year’s Ballon d’Or awards ceremony will take place in London on October 26, marking the first time the English capital will host the prestigious football event. The organisers revealed the development on Thursday, noting that the 2026 edition will coincide with the 70th anniversary of the Ballon d’Or. London was selected in honour of Sir Stanley Matthews, the inaugural winner of the award in 1956.
Described as the most prestigious individual accolade in world football, the Ballon d’Or ceremony is returning to the city where the concept of the award was first imagined.
This year’s event also marks the first time since 2019 that the ceremony will not be staged in Paris. Between 2010 and 2015, the awards were held in Zurich, Switzerland, during the period when the Ballon d’Or merged with FIFA’s awards to become the FIFA Ballon d’Or.
From 2016, the ceremony returned to France, with Paris becoming its permanent host city from 2019 until now.
The Ballon d’Or, originally owned independently by France’s L’Équipe Group, has been co-organised by UEFA since 2024.
Paris Saint-Germain winger Ousmane Dembele and Barcelona Femení star Aitana Bonmatí are the reigning men’s and women’s Ballon d’Or holders, respectively.
