The award for the world's best footballer leaves Paris for the first time, crowning its 70th winners at the London Palladium in tribute to Stanley Matthews.
The Ballon d’Or, the award for the world’s best footballer, names its 70th winners at The London Palladium in the West End on Monday 26 October 2026. It is the first ceremony held in London.
Two French sportswriters, Gabriel Hanot and Jacques Ferran, conceived the award in 1956 to name Europe’s best footballer. The first winner was Stanley Matthews, the Blackpool and England winger, who was 41 and remains the oldest player to take it.
Eligibility widened to players of any nationality at European clubs in 1995, when George Weah won. Since 2024 the award has been run jointly with UEFA.
From 2019 the ceremony was staged at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. The move to London is a tribute to Matthews, crowned 70 years earlier.
Lionel Messi holds the record with eight wins. Ousmane Dembélé is the reigning holder after his victory in 2025, and Aitana Bonmatí has won the women’s award three years running.
The men’s and women’s rankings are read down from 30th place, beside the young player, goalkeeper and coach awards, before the successors to Dembélé and Bonmatí are named.