70th Ballon d'Or ceremony held at London Palladium
- The 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony took place at the London Palladium.
- Harry Kane and Lionel Messi are among the top men's nominees.
- Alexia Putellas is a favourite for the women's Ballon d'Or.
- Bukayo Saka was honoured with the Socrates Award for humanitarian work.
- Unai Simón and Cata Coll won the men's and women's Yashin Trophies.
The 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony convened at the London Palladium on Monday, 26 October 2026, with the event scheduled to begin at 8 pm GMT, which corresponds to 1:30 am IST on Tuesday, 27 October. Although the proceedings were expected to commence around 8:45 pm local time, or 2:15 am IST, the event faced a 30-minute delay.
This logistical disruption across London stemmed directly from heavy traffic throughout the city. The delay occurred potentially because several important dignitaries had not yet arrived at the venue.
Men's Ballon d'Or contenders and shortlist
This award evaluates performances recorded between 3 August 2025 and 19 July 2026.
The list includes Erling Haaland and Rodri from Manchester City, alongside Harry Kane and Luis Díaz of Bayern Munich. Barcelona players Lamine Yamal and Pau Cubarsí also feature on the shortlist. Other stars nominated include Vinícius Júnior, Bruno Fernandes, and Lautaro Martínez.
Harry Kane has scored 73 goals in 65 appearances for Bayern Munich this season. He helped his club secure both the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal. England's third-place finish at the 2026 World Cup remains a factor that could impact his potential victory. If he wins, Kane would become the fifth Englishman to claim the trophy. He would join Michael Owen, Sir Stanley Matthews, Sir Bobby Charlton, and Kevin Keegan in that group.
Lamine Yamal, aged 19, has tallied 25 goals and 20 assists in 57 matches for Barcelona and Spain. He previously won the best young player award for two consecutive years. A senior Ballon d'Or nomination represents a major step in his career development. Kylian Mbappé has scored 58 goals and provided 13 assists in 60 appearances this season. However, Mbappé did not win a major team trophy during this period.
Lionel Messi, now playing for Inter Miami at age 39, returns to the shortlist after missing the last two editions. NDTV reported that Messi maintains an outside chance of winning following his performance with Inter Miami and leading Argentina to the World Cup final. His club work occurs outside Europe, but his international performances for Argentina provide a substantial body of work for voters. A ninth win would extend his existing record and complicate the generational shift narrative led by Yamal and Mbappé.
France Football has narrowed the initial 30 nominations to a top 10 group. The organizers have announced rankings for players placed 11th to 30th. However, the final positions of the top 10 candidates remain undisclosed. Midfielder Michael Olise also holds an outside chance for the award, according to NDTV. The Ballon d'Or website briefly published articles naming Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé, or Lamine Yamal as the winner. These pages were later removed, and no winner has been confirmed.
Women's Ballon d'Or shortlist and favourites
Aitana Bonmatí is absent from the women’s shortlist after a leg fracture ended her run of three consecutive awards. Two-time winner Alexia Putellas is a favourite after helping Barcelona win the Champions League and the Spanish league.
Putellas has transferred to the London City Lionesses. Manchester City forward Khadija Shaw and Barcelona midfielder Clàudia Pina are also notable contenders in the race.
The women’s shortlist includes Temwa Chawinga of the Kansas City Current, Melchie Dumornay of Lyon, Pernille Harder of Bayern Munich, and Arsenal’s Alessia Russo.
Kopa and Yashin trophy winners
The Kopa Trophy for the best young player includes Lamine Yamal, who is seeking a third consecutive win, and his Barcelona and Spain teammate Pau Cubarsí. Other Kopa candidates include Bournemouth’s Eli Junior Kroupi, Vicky Lopez, Clara Serrajordi, and Lyon’s Lily Yohannes.
Cata Coll won the women’s Yashin Trophy, and Unai Simón won the men’s award. Legendary Danish goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel presented the trophies.
Unai Simón was Spain’s starting goalkeeper for the 2026 World Cup, chosen over David Raya and Joan García. He conceded only one goal in eight games, setting a record for the longest clean-sheet stretch in World Cup history.
Bukayo Saka receives Socrates Award
Arsenal winger Bukayo Saka received the Socrates Award for his humanitarian efforts.
Arsenal cited his involvement with the charity Big Shoe, providing emergency housing for families displaced by earthquakes in Turkey and Morocco, and funding surgeries for more than 100 children in Nigeria and across Africa.
Opening ceremony and crowd incidents
English singer Jorja Smith opened the ceremony with her song Blue Lights.
Fans attempted to breach the red-carpet area by climbing containers and forming mosh pits. Police used force to push them back, and one woman suffered a panic attack while protecting her children.
Voting criteria and trophy history
Specialist football journalists select the winners based on individual performance, team achievements, and sporting conduct.
A fresh golden ball is made each year for the winners. Lionel Messi possesses eight trophies, while Pelé and Diego Maradona have honorary titles, bringing the total men’s award count to 71 and the women’s count to seven.
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