Ballon d’Or 2026: How to Watch, Time, Details of Masters of Ceremony and More
- The 70th Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place at the London Palladium on October 26, 2026, marking the first time it is held outside Paris
- Arsenal legend Thierry Henry and British journalist Kate Scott will host the event, which fans can watch live and for free on DAZN and ballondor.com
- Harry Kane is the leading candidate for the men’s award ahead of Lamine Yamal, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé and Rodri, according to betting market Polymarket
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The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony will take place in London on Monday, October 26, 2026, with Thierry Henry and Kate Scott set to host the event.
Source: UGC
It will be the 70th edition of the prestigious award and the first ceremony held outside Paris. London was chosen to honour Stanley Matthews, who won the first Ballon d’Or in 1956.
Organisers announced the hosts on Monday, October 19, exactly one week before the event. Voting by journalists closed on September 28, meaning the winners have already been decided.
Harry Kane is the current favourite to win the men’s award, according to betting market Polymarket.
When and where is the Ballon d’Or 2026?
The ceremony will be held at the London Palladium Theatre in London, England. According to UEFA, the event starts at 20:00 GMT, which is 8pm in Ghana.
For viewers in France and other parts of central Europe, it begins at 21:00 CET. In the United States, the ceremony will start at around 4pm Eastern Time and 1pm Pacific Time.
No official running order for the night has been published yet.
How to watch Ballon d’Or 2026 live
DAZN will broadcast the ceremony live and free in about 200 markets, according to Sportmonks. Fans can watch on the DAZN app or website by signing up for a free account.
The event will also be streamed live on the official Ballon d’Or website, ballondor.com.
In France, L’Équipe will carry the broadcast. Ghanaian fans can tune in through either of the two streaming options.
Henry and Kate Scott to host ceremony
Arsenal and France legend Thierry Henry will co-host the ceremony alongside British journalist Kate Scott. Henry finished second in the Ballon d’Or in 2003 and was nominated nine times during his career.
Among his major honours are the 1998 World Cup with France and the 2009 Champions League with Barcelona. Scott hosts Champions League coverage on CBS Sports in the United States, where she regularly co-presents with Henry.
The pair were announced as hosts by the Ballon d’Or organisers a week before the event.
Below is the Instagram post confirming Thierry Henry and Kate Scott as the masters of ceremonies.
Ballon d’Or 2026 awards and voting process
Awards will be presented in both the men’s and women’s categories. These include the Ballon d’Or, Young Talent of the Year (Kopa Trophy), Goalkeeper of the Year (Yashin Trophy), Coach of the Year, Club of the Year and Striker of the Year.
Organisers will also present the Sócrates Award, which recognises solidarity and societal causes. For the men’s award, a jury of 100 journalists, one from each of the top 100 nations in the FIFA ranking, ranked 10 players each.
Individual performance is the main criterion, followed by team achievements, class and fair play. The reference period for the men’s award runs from August 3, 2025, to the World Cup final on July 19, 2026.
Among the 30 men’s nominees, Africa is represented by Morocco’s Achraf Hakimi and Senegal’s Sadio Mané.
Leading candidates for the 2026 Ballon d’Or
Betting market Polymarket lists Harry Kane as the clear favourite to win the men’s award. Here are the top five contenders, according to Polymarket as of Monday, October 19:
- Harry Kane (Bayern Munich): 67.6%
- Lamine Yamal (Barcelona): 25.3%
- Lionel Messi: 3.1%
- Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid): 3.1%
- Rodri: 0.4%
Kane and Yamal’s stats compared
YEN.com.gh earlier reported that Harry Kane scored 73 goals for club and country in the 2025/26 season. The England captain helped Bayern Munich win the Bundesliga, the German Cup and the German Super Cup.
Lamine Yamal recorded 25 goals and 20 assists in 57 appearances for Barcelona and Spain. Spain’s World Cup-winning squad included the teenager, although injury limited his role at the tournament.
Kane said at the time that “the final decision is in the hands of the voters.”
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Source: YEN.com.gh
