London hosts the 70th annual Ballon d'Or awards. The ceremony honors the best individual football players in the world.
Football fans around the world are watching the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony. This event takes place in London tonight. It honors the best individual players from the previous season.
Also, this year marks the 70th edition of the prestigious award. The France Football magazine established this tradition back in 1956. The event honors the history of the sport.
Next, the organizers chose London as the host city this year. They want to recognize Stanley Matthews, the first player to win the trophy. England has not seen a winner in 25 years.
Meanwhile, many stars hope to win the top prize. Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, and Kylian Mbappe lead the men's nominees. Alexia Putellas remains the favorite for the women's award.
After that, the voting process begins. A jury of journalists from the top 100 FIFA nations selects the winner. Each voter picks their top ten players from a list.
Then, the voters assign points to their chosen players. The player with the highest total point count receives the trophy. This system ensures a fair and global result.
However, the rules for the award changed over time. It only included European players at the start. Since 2007, any professional footballer in the world can win.
Finally, the women’s category joined the ceremony in 2018. Ada Hegerberg became the first female winner that year. UEFA now helps organize the event with Groupe Amaury.
As a result, the sport continues to grow its global reach. We will provide updates throughout the night. Stay tuned for the official results and photos from the event.