Maha Christopher
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held in London for the first time on October 26, organisers announced on Thursday.
According to AFP, the event will mark the 70th anniversary of the prestigious football award, which was first presented to England’s Stanley Matthews in 1956.
Organisers, however, did not disclose the exact venue in London for the ceremony.
The Ballon d’Or remains the most prestigious individual award in football and has been dominated for years by Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Messi currently holds the record for the most Ballon d’Or titles in history, having won the award eight times in 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015, 2019, 2021, and 2023.
Ronaldo follows with five titles won in 2008, 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2017.
Last year’s award was won by Ousmane Dembele, the Paris Saint Germain winger, during a ceremony held in Paris by Groupe L’Equipe, owners of France Football magazine.
The rivalry between Messi and Ronaldo is widely regarded as one of the greatest in football history, with both stars dominating the sport for more than a decade and setting numerous individual and team records.
