France Football schedules 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony for October in London

The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place on October 26 in London, marking the first time the event is held in the city. Organizers are expected to host the gala at the London Palladium. The field of contenders includes Rodri, Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia. Voting criteria now prioritize individual performance, decisive actions, on-pitch impact, team achievements, and fair play, moving away from past considerations of overall career history. Participation is limited to media members representing the top 100 countries in the FIFA men's world rankings. Finalists are selected by journalists from France Football and L'Equipe, with full transparency on ballots provided after the ceremony concludes.

• 9:00 AMYahoo Sports — How Ballon d'Or voting works: Criteria, points system, who gets to vote, and more