The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place in London on 26 October, UEFA announced on Wednesday. "The prestigious award ceremony will take place on 26 October in London," UEFA.com said, fixing the where and when for football’s next major individual awards night.
The date carries symbolic weight: the Ballon d'Or was created by France Football in 1956 and the 2026 event will celebrate the award’s 70th anniversary. UEFA’s decision also marks the first time the ceremony is staged in London — a tribute the announcement ties to Stanley Matthews, the inaugural winner seven decades ago — and follows an organisational change: the prize has been co‑organised with UEFA since 2024.
The communiqué also put the obvious question on the table: "who will succeed 2025 winners Aitana Bonmatí and Ousmane Dembélé?" The announcement did not name nominees or winners; those lists, and practical details such as media accreditation, will be released at a later date.
For players, clubs and agents the London booking settles logistics that can affect season planning. The timing comes after a Champions League weekend that reshaped some individual cases: FC Barcelona beat OL Lyonnes 4-0 in the Women’s UEFA Champions League final on May 23 at Ullevaal Stadium in Oslo, a result that will echo in voters’ minds when ballots are drawn up.
That result is the clearest friction point already visible. Melchie Dumornay — the Haitian midfielder for OL Lyonnes who finished 18th in last year’s Ballon d'Or rankings — saw her club beaten 4-0 in Oslo, a loss that supporters and analysts say weakened her case even as some argue she still merits a top finish. "After finishing 18th in the Ballon d'Or rankings last year, Melchie Dumornay is well deserving of a top-three finish," wrote, reflecting a view shared by fans. Michelet Jérôme was blunt: "She will at least be in the Top 3," he said, while adding, "I think a Barcelona player will win the Ballon D’Or [again] because they won the Champions League, which is a major title. But I’ll still be satisfied if Melchie finishes second or third."
Those divided signals — a high personal rating from some observers versus a heavy club defeat on the biggest stage — underline the judgement voters will face over the coming months. Barcelona’s victory, and the two-goal contributions by Ewa Pajor and Salma Paralluelo in Oslo, will strengthen the cases for players on the winning side; Lyon’s second successive final defeat (they also lost the 2024 final to Barcelona) complicates the pitch for their stars.
With the where and when now settled, the next concrete dates supporters and media should watch for are the official release of the nominee lists and accreditation windows. UEFA said it will communicate those details in due course; until then the single open question left by Wednesday’s announcement is straightforward and immediate: who will be on the 2026 ballot, and which performances between now and October will decide the 70th anniversary winners.
