The 2026 Ballon d'Or presentation ceremony, one of the most prestigious individual awards in the football world, will be held today - October 26 - in London. This year's 70th award ceremony is also marked by a historic event: for the first time, the event will be organized outside Paris, in the capital of Great Britain.
Modern.az reports that the ceremony will be held at the “Palladium” theater in London. The official start of the event is scheduled for 21:00 Baku time. The ceremony will be hosted by French football legend Thierry Henry and TV presenter Kate Scott.
The main intrigue of the 2026 award ceremony is who will be the winner of the men's “Ballon d'Or”. English Harry Kane, Spanish Lamin Yamal and French Kylian Mbappe are among the main candidates.
According to the latest data from the bookmaker market, “Bayern” striker Harry Kane is leading the competition. “Barcelona”'s young star Lamin Yamal is considered his main rival.
Kane's advantage is associated with his productive play throughout the season. Yamal remains one of the most discussed young stars in world football.
Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland, Ousmane Dembele, Vinicius Junior and Lionel Messi are also mentioned among the possible winners.
However, bookmaker odds do not determine the final result. The winner of the “Ballon d'Or” is chosen by voting, and the final decision will only be announced at the award ceremony.
The “Ballon d'Or” award was established in 1956 at the initiative of “France Football” magazine. This year's ceremony will be the 70th.
The choice of London has a symbolic meaning. The first winner of the award was also a representative of English football - Stanley Matthews.
It should be noted that Ousmane Dembele, who plays for PSG, won the 2025 “Ballon d'Or” award among men.
