Ballon d'Or 2026: ceremony on 26 October in London, with Dembele the reigning winner
The 30-man shortlist includes Bellingham, Haaland, Kane, Mbappe, Yamal and Vinicius Junior, and the ceremony is at the London Palladium.
The 2026 Ballon d'Or will be awarded on Monday 26 October 2026 at the London Palladium Theatre, on the award's 70th anniversary. The shortlists were released on 8 September.
The shortlist
Thirty players are nominated in the men's category, including Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal and Vinicius Junior, together with Ousmane Dembele, the reigning winner. Among the women's nominees are Barbra Banda and Mariona Caldentey. Separate shortlists exist for the Club of the Year and the Coach of the Year.
The winners are decided by an international jury of journalists and will be revealed during the ceremony.
In context: this year's race is shaped by the World Cup: Spain's Rodri won the Golden Ball and France's Mbappe the Golden Boot.
Sources: UEFA, Yahoo Sports.
Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we will correct it.
