The 70th edition of football’s most prestigious individual awards is being staged in the capital for the first time. The choice of venue also carries historical significance, as it is a nod to the late Sir Stanley Matthews, the inaugural Ballon d’Or winner in 1956.
Organised by France Football in partnership with UEFA, this year’s ceremony will culminate with the announcement of the men’s Ballon d’Or winner.
Kane became the first English player to win the Ballon d’Or in 25 years, while Putellas ended Aitana Bonmati’s three-year dominance to win her third Golden Ball.
Ballon d’Or 2026 live updatesTo refresh the page, click here.23:55 – A message from your Ballon d’Or winner
Thanks for joining us for the 2026 Ballon d’Or on a memorable night in London!
We’ll leave you with this message from the best player in the world…
Goodnight!
23:45 – Every winner tonight
Spain – and Barcelona – dominated in London, but it was The Three Lions skipper and a player playing in the English capital who took home the big ones.
23:35 – ‘To be named the best player in the world is incredible’
Kane has been speaking to DAZN following his Ballon d’Or win:
“Not many people would have thought it, and maybe even myself wouldn’t have thought of being this far,” he said.
“I had to go through many ups and downs, especially early in my career.
I was never the person people thought was going to be the superstar. I had to bide my time, work hard.
“There were a lot of times it was me against my own mind and I had to come through it, show self-belief and determination. I think that grounded me, even when I made it at the highest level, to keep improving and keep getting better.
“I always said no matter what I achieve or how many goals I score, winning the Ballon d’Or is always about getting better and this is a showcase of that.
“To be named the best player in the world is incredible. I’m lost for words.”
Harry Kane
Image credit: Getty Images
23:25 – The full honours list23:18 – Messi takes fifth place
Lionel Messi ranked fifth place in the rankings.
Here is the official 2026 Men’s Ballon d’Or top 10:
1. Harry Kane
2. Kylian Mbappe
3. Lamine Yamal
4. Rodri
5. Lionel Messi
6. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
7. Ousmane Dembele
8. Erling Haaland
9. Michael Olise
10. Fabian Ruiz
23:15 – Mutual respect from Dembele and Rodri
The 2024 and 2025 winners were the first to congratulate Harry Kane.
23:10 – Kane’s Ballon d’Or in numbers
The Bayern Munich and England striker scored 73 goals for club and country across the 2025/26 campaign.
He helped Bayern to a domestic double and led England to their best World Cup finish since 1966.
Check out his best moments of the season…
Best moments from Kane’s Ballon d’Or winning season
Video credit: TNT Sports
23:02 – ‘It wasn’t perfect, but we had great moments’
This is what Kane had to say in a message to his England team-mates.
“We had a special year. It wasn’t the perfect year, but we had a load of great moments. We built a great bond together. The togetherness in the hotel during the World Cup.
An honour to captain you and lead you. It makes me extremely proud. This one is for all of us for sure.
“Thomas Tuchel and the staff at England, again the leadership the way you drive us, the way you push standards is something to be admired.”
Harry Kane
Image credit: Getty Images
22:58 – Kane thanks Bayern colleagues
“Without you guys [Bayern Munich team-mates] and the rest of the team it wouldn’t be possible, the way you guys push me, the way we compete. So thank you very much. To Vinny [Vincent Kompany]. I know he is at home or still in the hospital. Wishing you well. I hope this gave you a bit of energy. To all the staff we way train and the way you push us it is a credit to yourself.
“Since I have been with you I have improved as player, improved as a person and a leader. Thanks to your leadership. An honour to play for Bayern Munich. To represent you is a real privilege.”
Glad to be bringing this trophy back to Bayern Munich.
Harry Kane
Image credit: Getty Images
22:55 – Kane ‘speechless’
Here are Kane’s first words after becoming the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner.
“I am almost speechless,” Kane said.
“Being here in London has made it extra special. Made it a good omen for me tonight. Thank you to everyone who voted for me. I can imagine it was tough this year.
“Some world-class players in the room tonight. Congratulations to all the winners and nominees.”
Harry Kane
Image credit: Getty Images
22:50 – Harry Kane wins the Ballon d’Or!
An incredible moment for the England captain!
“Wow, wow, wow,” are his first words. More to come…
22:44 – Now for the men’s award…
Will Harry Kane become the first Englishman in 25 years to win it? Will Lamine Yamal become the youngest player ever to claim the award? Or will Kylian Mbappe finally get his hands on the famous golden trophy?
Brazil legend Ronaldo will present the trophy, so let’s find out!
22:40 – Putellas on her third Golden Ball
This is what the former Barcelona star had to say after ending Aitana Bonmati’s three-year dominance and winning her third Ballon d’Or overall.
“Thank you very much,” she said. “It is a pleasure to be here again. Thank you, France football.
“Thank you to the ones who thought I deserved this award. I don’t know what to say, too many things! Congrats to all the nominees, congrats to all the winners.
“I want to start by saying thank you team-mates. I think anyone here could have fairly won this trophy and be giving this speech here right now. A great pleasure to play alongside each and every single one of you.
“Incredible experiences as a team, we overcame some difficulties, some injuries, some moments we weren’t expecting as a team and a great pride for me as captain.”
Alexia Putellas
Image credit: Getty Images
22:34 – Alexia Putellas wins the Ballon d’Or!
The London City Lionesses star is named the 2026 Women’s Ballon d’Or winner!
22:25 – Women’s award up first
We’ve got Michael Owen – the last Englishman to win the award – on stage to announce the winners.
A good omen for Kane? One more ad break and then we’ll find out.
22:20 – Here we go!
After another musical performance, the two Ballon d’Or awards arrive on stage and we’re ready for the big ones.
A reminder of the nominees…
Men’s Ballon d’Or
Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)Ousmane Dembele (PSG)Erling Haaland (Man City)Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG)Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)Michael Olise (Bayern Munich)Fabian Ruiz (PSG)Rodri (Man City, Barcelona)
Women’s Ballon d’Or
Temwa Chawinga – (Kansas City Current)Melchie Dumornay – (OL Lyonnes)Caroline Graham Hansen – (Barcelona)Patri Guijarro – (Barcelona)Pernille Harder – Bayern Munich)Ewa Pajor – (Barcelona)Claudia Pina – (Barcelona)Alexia Putellas – (Barcelona/London City Lionesses)Alessia Russo – (Arsenal)Khadija Shaw – (Man City) 22:10 – Time to award the strikers
Sophie Turner and Alan Shearer (some duo!) on stage to award the Men’s and Women’s Strikers of the Year, which go to Harry Kane and Charlyn Corral!
The first of two for Kane tonight…?
22:02 – Men’s Club of the Year
The winner is… French and European champions PSG!
Last year’s Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembele will collect the award.
21:56 – A short break…
The Men’s Club of the Year will be announced after another commercial break, as well as the Men’s and Women’s 2026 Ballon d’Or!
21:50 – Women’s Club of the Year
The award goes to Barcelona…
It’s another award for the Spaniards!
21:47 – Time for the Club of the Year awards
Ex-Gunners Patrick Vieira and Sol Campbell join former team-mate Thierry Henry and Kate Scott on stage to announce the Women’s and Men’s Club of the Year.
Arsenal are nominated for the men’s award alongside PSG, Bayern Munich, Flamengo and Bodo/Glimt.
As for the women’s award, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Man City, Club America and OL Lyonnes.
21:44 – Bukayo Saka wins the Socrates award
The Arsenal star is presented with the award for the best humanitarian work by a footballer worldwide.
“For me, it’s an honour to be here, to receive this award, on behalf of all the children we’ve been able to help – thank you,” Saka said.
All of us know how it feels to be a child, have a ball at your feet, and how much joy you have.
“When I have the opportunity to help another kid have that feeling again, that’s important to me. We’re all just really blessed.”
21:34 – Goalkeepers named
The winners are Athletic Bilbao’s Unai Simon and Barcelona’s Cata Coll!
21:28 – Time to award the keepers!
Peter Schmeichel is in position to award the Men’s and Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year.
Men’s nominees:
Yassine Bounou (Al-Hilal)Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid)Joan Garcia (Barcelona)Gregor Kobel (Dortmund)Emiliano Martinez (Aston Villa, Chelsea)Edouard Mendy (Al-Ahli)David Raya (Arsenal)Matvey Safonov (PSG)Unai Simon (Athletic Bilbao)
Women’s nominees:
Ann-Katrin Berger (Gotham FC)Hannah Hampton (Chelsea)Cata Coll (Barcelona)Lorena Leite (Kansas City Current)Ayaka Yamashita (Man City)21:21 – De la Fuente wins
After leading Spain to World Cup glory, Luis de la Fuente is named Men’s Coach of the Year!
21:14 – Men’s Coach of the Year
Will it be Mikel Arteta, or Unai Emery?
As well as those two, Luis Enrique, Luis de la Fuente and Vincent Kompany are nominated.
Benitez is ready to announce the winner… after a commercial break.
21:10 – Women’s Coach of the Year
Former Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez will reveal this one, with Jonatan Giraldez, Andree Jeglertz, Nils Nielsen, Pere Romeu and Elena Sadiku up for the award.
The winner is… Pere Romeu!
Barcelona are cleaning up so far this evening; that’s three out of three for the Catalan club.
21:01 – Women’s Young Talent of the Year
This one is presented by Lioness Lucy Bronze.
The nominees are Veerle Buurman, Vicky Lopez, Felicia Schroeder, Clara Serrajordi and Lily Isabella Yohannes.
And this one goes to Barcelona’s Vicky Lopez!
20:58 – Cubarsi should have won it, says Yamal
This is what the Barca star had to say upon receiving his first (and perhaps not last) award of the night.
“It’s an honour to be here and receive this prize,” he said.
“I would have liked Cubarsi my team-mate to be here because I think this prize should have been for him. He deserved it. He’s been playing at an excellent level for some time and I wish he had won this tonight.
“This is my third year up here for this prize and I’m very grateful for this. I would like to thank my club and my national team, and I’ll continue working to win these collective and individual prizes.”
20:55 – The winner is…
Of course, Lamine Yamal!
Lamine Yamal.
Image credit: Getty Images
20:53 – First up… the Men’s Young Talent of the Year
The nominees are Lamine Yamal, Yan Diomande, Pau Cubarsi, Lennart Karl, Eli Junior Kroupi, Johan Manzambi, Ibrahim Maza and Ayoub Bouaddi and Kerim Alajbegovic.
20:45 – We’re underway in London!
After a 45-minute delay, the ceremony has finally started.
20:38 – No sign of Messi
And there won’t be this evening…
Lionel Messi is up for a staggering ninth Ballon d’Or tonight, but he won’t be present in London.
He’s at the ‘Messi Cup’ in Miami, an international youth football tournament in his name.
Lionel Messi
Image credit: Getty Images
20:33 – Still waiting for the ceremony…
Having been pushed back to 20:30 GMT, there has been a further delay, with the ceremony set to get started at 20:45.
20:23 – Yamal is in the building20:15 – Kane speaks ahead of ceremony
The Bayern Munich striker has been chatting to DAZN on the red carpet – does he think he can win it?
“I’m a bit nervous, I’m not going to lie! It’s different to a big match because it’s out of my control, you’re kind of just waiting to find out who wins,” he said.
“Of course, being here in London, seeing fans and family, it’s a special occasion, I’m trying to take it all in and enjoy it.
It will be a really special night if it goes my way. It would be an incredibly proud moment if I do achieve it.
Harry Kane
Image credit: Getty Images
“I look back at last season and it was my best season for sure. I won three trophies with Bayern Munich and were really close in the Champions League and World Cup. If I had won those, it would have been guaranteed, for sure!
“But that’s football; there are highs and there are lows.”
20:09 – Here’s Harry
The England skipper has arrived on what could be a huge night for English football in London!
Harry Kane
Image credit: Getty Images
20:00 – Ceremony reportedly delayed
There are reports that the ceremony has been pushed back to 20:30 UK time, due to traffic in the area.
It was scheduled to begin at 20:00, but we’re still waiting…
19:58 – Mbappe arrives!
Kylian Mbappe has been tipped as a late favourite for the award, and he’s currently facing the cameras on the red carpet.
Kylian Mbappe
Image credit: Getty Images
19:45 – Premier League clubs and players nominated
There is plenty of Premier League interest tonight!
We already know the positions of Declan Rice (14th), Gabriel (21st), Bruno Fernandes (27th) and William Saliba (29th), with Erling Haaland set to be named in the top 10.
Elsewhere, Arsenal are up for Men’s Club of the Year, while both Mikel Arteta and Unai Emery are going for the Men’s Coach of the Year award.
The Arsenal and Aston Villa (plus Chelsea*) theme continues as David Raya and Emiliano Martinez battle for the Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year.
Eli Junior Kroupi (Bournemouth), Johan Manzambi (Aston Villa) and Ayoub Bouaddi (Man City) are also up for the Men’s Young Talent of the Year.
Unai Emery
Image credit: Getty Images
19:35 – Which awards are up for grabs?
Ahead of the official ceremony getting underway, let’s take a look at the awards beyond the main two, which will be presented at the end of the night.
Men’s Young Talent of the YearWomen’s Young Talent of the YearMen’s Goalkeeper of the YearWomen’s Goalkeeper of the YearMen’s Coach of the YearWomen’s Coach of the YearMen’s Club of the YearWomen’s Club of the Year19:20 – What is winning the Ballon d’Or like?
Fortunately for us, Owen has been speaking on the red carpet and he has given us a (slightly different) experience of what it is like to win the award he claimed 25 years ago…
“A long time ago, wasn’t it? 25 years. And not many Ballon d’Or winners since,” he told DAZN.
“It’s been dominated by [Cristiano] Ronaldo and [Lionel] Messi. It was a long, long time ago. It doesn’t feel that long.
There wasn’t as much razzmatazz back in those days! It was a secretive little photo shoot at the training ground, it was announced into the press and then I picked up the award just before a home game.
“There was none of this, the red carpet, the dickie bows… It’s changed a bit since!”
Michael Owen
Image credit: Getty Images
19:00 – Can a player win two awards?
Lamine Yamal is up for both the Ballon d’Or and the Men’s Young Talent of the Year.
18:42 – Michael Owen in the house
Are we going to see the first English winner since this man took home the award in 2001?
It has been a long time coming, but it would be the perfect night for Harry Kane to become the first English Ballon d’Or winner in a quarter of a century…
18:30 – The Ballon d’Or finalists
Now that the players from 11th to 30th have been announced, we now know the final 10…
Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid)Ousmane Dembele (PSG)Erling Haaland (Man City)Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (PSG)Lionel Messi (Inter Miami)Michael Olise (Bayern Munich)Fabian Ruiz (PSG)Rodri (Man City, Barcelona)
One of these will be crowned the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner!
18:20 – The Matthews family arrive
The ceremony is in London tonight for the first time ever, to honour the first winner of the award 70 years ago, Sir Stanley Matthews.
Matthews – who played for Blackpool at the time he received the award in 1956 – passed away in 2000 at the age of 85, but his family will be in the building tonight.
18:10 – Real Madrid and the Ballon d’Or
Earlier, it was reported that Kylian Mbappe would be travelling to London for tonight’s ceremony, despite Los Blancos not having been present at the event in 2024 and 2025.
But what’s the history behind it?
17:45 – A sign of things to come?
It seems the official Ballon d’Or website has hit publish a little too soon…
17:35 – Men’s ranking (11th-15th)
11th – Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
12th – Pau Cubarsi (Barcelona)
13th – Achraf Hakimi (PSG)
14th – Vitinha (PSG)
15th – Declan Rice (Arsenal)
Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham
Image credit: Getty Images
17:20 – Men’s ranking (16th -20th)
16th – Ferran Torres (Barcelona)
17th – Vinicius (Real Madrid)
18th – Marc Cucurella (Chelsea, Real Madrid)
19th – Joao Neves (PSG)
20th – Willian Pacho (PSG)
Ferran Torres was the hero as dominant Spain overcame 10-man Argentina
Image credit: Getty Images
17:10 – Men’s ranking (21st -25th)
21st – Gabriel Magalhaes (Arsenal)
22nd – Lautaro Martinez (Inter)
23rd – Nuno Mendes (PSG)
24th – Luis Diaz (Bayern Munich)
25th – Marquinhos (PSG)
Marquinhos exchanges words with Gabriel.
Image credit: Getty Images
16:54 – Men’s ranking begins
Here we go! The players ranked from 11th to 30th in the men’s Ballon d’Or are set to be announced.
26th – Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich)
27th – Bruno Fernandes (Man Utd)
28th – Julian Quinones (Al-Qadsiah)
Joint 29th – William Saliba (Arsenal), Sadio Mane (Al-Nassr)
Bruno Fernandes acknowledges the fans after Manchester United’s 5-2 win over Ipswich Town in the Premier League.
Image credit: Getty Images
16:48 – Next, the men’s ranking begins
In just a few minutes, we will find out the men’s rankings from 11th to 30th position.
Here are the 10 finalists for the women’s award…
16:45 – Women’s ranking (11th -14th)
11th – Yui Hasegawa (Man City)
12th – Klara Buhl (Bayern Munich)
13th – Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal)
14th – Wendie Renard (OL Lyones)
Mariona Caldentey of Arsenal looks on during the Pre-Season Friendly match between Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur at Meadow Park on August 23, 2025 in Borehamwood, England. (Photo by Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)
Image credit: Getty Images
16:40 – Women’s ranking (15th-19th)
15th – Cata Coll (Barcelona)
16th – Mapi Leon (Barcelona, London City Lionesses)
17th – Esmee Brugts (Barcelona)
18th – Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride)
19th – Tessa Wullaert (Inter Milan, Como)
16:35 – Women’s ranking (20th-24th)
20th – Selma Bacha (OL Lyones)
21st – Scarlett Camberos (Club America)
22nd – Manaka Matsukubo (North Carolina Courage, Chelsea)
23rd – Momoko Tanikawa (Bayern Munich)
24th – Kerstin Casparij (Man City)
Kerstin Casparij
Image credit: Getty Images
16:30 – Women’s ranking reveal begins
Here come our first results of the evening, with the women’s ranking from 11th to 30th place (or in this case, 28th, with three players tied).
25th – Caroline Weir (Real Madrid, OL Lyones)
26th – Alex Greenwood (Man City)
27th – Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC)
Joint 28th – Vivianne Miedema (Man City), Melvine Malard (Man Utd, Chelsea) and Lorena (Kansas City Current)
Alex Greenwood
Image credit: Getty Images
16:10 – The countdown is on!
There is not long to wait now…
Here is a reminder of the timings at tonight’s ceremony, which officially gets underway in a couple of hours.
15:58 – Bayern arrive at the Ballon d’Or
Florian Plettenberg provides us this clip of the Bayern Munich delegation arriving in London for the Ballon d’Or.
Harry Kane, Michael Olise, Luis Diaz, and Lennart Karl are the players to have made the journey from Bavaria.
That’s my last update for the day, with my colleague Ben Southby about to take over the reins until midnight.
Stay right here for all the latest updates, and to be notified of all the winners as they are announced!
15:46 – Kvaratskhelia to miss Ballon d’Or ceremony A report from L’Equipe claims that Khvicha Kvaratskhelia will miss this year’s Ballon d’Or ceremony.
The Georgian sustained an ACL injury in the 4-2 win over Barcelona, and will fly out to Doha for an operation.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.
Image credit: Getty Images
15:35 – Waddle wants Kane, but backing Yamal
Former England and Tottenham Hotspur star Chris Waddle is backing Harry Kane to win the Ballon d’Or, but has a feeling he’ll be pipped to the post by Lamine Yamal.
He told Get French Football News: “If you’re looking at an individual. I don’t think anyone has done better than Harry Kane over the course of the year.
“He should win it, but I think Lamine Yamal will win it, because Spain won the World Cup and Barcelona won their league.
If you go down the best player of the year, Harry Kane should win it with his goal records and assists. 15:18 – Magath backing Cucurella for the Ballon d’Or
That wasn’t a blog header I was expecting to write today, but former Fulham boss Felix Magath is backing Marc Cucurella for the Ballon d’Or!
Here’s what he had to say to German publication BILD.
15:09 – Ballon d’Or ceremony timings
Here are all the key times to monitor building up to the announcements for the Ballon d’Or Feminin and Ballon d’Or. All times listed are GMT.
Kopa Trophy—Men’s and Women’s – 20:05
People’s Choice Award – 20:17
Coach of the Year—Men’s and Women’s – 20:23
Yashin Trophy—Men’s and Women’s – 20:43
Gerd Muller Award—Men’s and Women’s – 20:52
Men’s and Women’s Club of the Year – 20:59
Socrates Award – 21:15
Ballon d’Or Féminin – 21:36
Ballon d’Or – 21:46
14:54 – Why did Real Madrid boycott the last two Ballon d’Ors?
Real Madrid will end their two-year absence from the Ballon d’Or ceremony tonight, amid their hopes Kylian Mbappe will walk away with football’s most prestigious individual prize.
Los Blancos didn’t turn up to the ceremony in 2024, after Rodri was chosen over Vinicius Junior.
They would then withdraw from last year’s ceremony at the last minute, but their two-year protest is now over.
Read the full story by clicking the link below
14:35 – Only five people know the Ballon d’Or winner
Former Ballon d’Or ceremony organiser Pascal Ferre gave an insight into how the winner is kept a secret until the last moment.
He told RMC: “How do you keep the winner’s identity hidden? I think a well-kept secret is one shared with as few people as possible.
“Then there are little tricks, little schemes. Mine was to leave fake rankings lying around at the France Football editorial office to feed social media, and that made me smile.
Right now, there can’t be more than five people who know the winner’s name.
Click on the link below for the full story.
14:17 – How to watch the Ballon d’OrWant to tune into the action tonight? A reminder here that you can livestream the ceremony for free in the UK at ballondor.com from 20:00 GMT.
The full details are in this piece below!
14:00 – Ballon d’Or predictions: who will win the Ballon d’OR?Here are the top four favourites to win the men’s award, according to Oddschecker.Harry Kane8/11Kylian Mbappe9/4Lamine Yamal17/2Lionel Messi 66/1
How does this compare to the TNT Sports power rankings? You can cross-check yourself by clicking on the link below!
13:45 – Tuchel names two other players who deserve the Ballon d’Or
Thomas Tuchel believes Harry Kane is the “full package”, but also explained which two other players who would be worthy recipients.
He said: “Declan [Rice] is an outstanding team player. He has the responsibility on his shoulders for Arsenal, and was a key player in a top campaign for them, reaching finals and winning the Premier League, so he deserves to be on that list.”
Jude [Bellingham] proved his talent at the highest level again and on the biggest stage at the World Cup with world-class performances throughout the tournament.
Read the full piece via the link below.
13:30 – What time is the Ballon d’Or ceremony?
The actual 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony begins at 21:00 GMT at the London Palladium. However, stars such as Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe will walk the red carpet from 19:30. But before that, rankings 30 to 11 will be announced from 17:00 to 19:30 – we will have every announcement as it happens.
The main awards will be announced from 21:00 to 23:00.
For the full order of ceremony, click the link below.
13:17- The men’s Ballon d’or rankings
Check out the latest TNT Sports power rankings for the men’s 2026 Ballon d’Or rankings.
Read where the likes of Harry Kane, Lionel Messi and Lamine Yamal are in this piece below!
12:50 – Who should win the men’s Kopa Trophy?
Have your say below regarding who you think should win the award for being the best young player in the men’s game!
12:32 – Gnabry says Kane ‘very deserving’ to win Ballon d’Or
Serge Gnabry has added further wait behind Harry Kane’s bid to win the Ballon d’or.
When asked if he deserved the award, the Bayern Munich forward replied: “Very deserving. I don’t know who decides the markers to win that trophy, but he had a great year and is still in incredible form, score lots of goals, and is so valuable to our team.
For sure, I wish for him that he wins that trophy, and we’ll see what happens.
Watch what he had to say in this clip below.
Gnabry backs ‘very deserving’ Kane to win Ballon d’Or
Video credit: TNT Sports
12:15 – All you need to know ahead of the Ballon d’Or
We’ve compiled a piece which has brought together all of the key information ahead of tonight’s Ballon d’Or ceremony.
This includes the full list of nominees and details of how the voting works.
Click the link below to get a full rundown on what lies ahead!
11:54 – Enrique perplexed by Doue’s omission
Paris Saint-Germain previously expressed his disbelief that Desire Doue was omitted from the list of 30 nominees to win the award.
He told the media last month: “We are very happy to have 10 players among the 30 best players in the world. If we could decide, if we had the possibility to decide, we would also include “Des” Desire Doue [in the Ballon d’Or nominations].
Why is Des not there? We seek to defend all of our players, and what we think is that we deserve to win this trophy, because our mentality is to protect all of the players, and that is what we always try to do.
Watch what he had to say via the clip below!
‘Why isn’t Doue there?’ – Enrique questions Ballon d’Or omission of PSG star
Video credit: SNTV
11:35 – Kane discusses Ballon d’Or prospectsHarry Kane said that it would be a “massive honour” to win the Ballon d’Or.
The Bayern Munich frontman was speaking after their 2-2 draw with Arsenal in the Champions League.
He said: “It would be a massive honour. I’ve made it clear that I don’t like to talk about myself, but I know it would be a massive achievement if it does happen.
Monday night will be a big evening, and it could be a special one for me personally.
‘It’ll be a massive honour’ – Kane hopeful of lifting Ballon d’Or
Video credit: TNT Sports
11:15 – Women’s Ballon d’Or power rankings
Have a look at the main runners and riders for the Women’s Ballon d’Or with this piece below.
It’s intriguing list, given there has been no World Cup nor a European Championship this year to sway the opinions of voters.
You can check out the current state of play by clicking on this piece below.
11:00 – Who gets your vote for the Women’s Ballon d’Or?
Have your say in our poll below!
10:45 – London City boss stakes claim for PutellasAlexia Putellas’ move from Barcelona to London City Lionesses was undoubtedly the highest-profile move of the Women’s Super League transfer window last summer.
Boss Eder Maestre believes the challenge of playing in England’s top-flight can push Putellas to win the award for a third time.
He said: “Alexia’s performances in this league give her more of an opportunity to win the Ballon d’Or.
It makes the league better, but it also makes Alexia better due to the challenge that she’s going to have in this competition.
London City Lionesses boss says ‘challenge’ of WSL can push Putellas to Ballon d’Or
Video credit: SNTV
10:30 – Rice backing Kane for the Ballon d’Or
Declan Rice has no doubt as to who should win the Ballon d’Or tonight.
The Arsenal midfielder is backing Kane to win the award, and shed light on what it’s like to play with and against the prolific frontman.
Speaking after Arsenal’s draw with Bayern Munich in the Champions League, he told TNT Sports: “For me, he’s the clear winner. I think the numbers speak for themselves. The year he’s had has been remarkable.
“He’s obviously up against some other world-class players, but when you play with him, you realise how good he is.
When you play against him, you realise how much of a pain he is!
‘He’s ridiculous’ – Rice says Kane is ‘clear winner’ for Ballon d’Or
Video credit: TNT Sports
10:15 – Who should win the men’s Ballon d’Or?
Have your say in the poll below!
10:00 – Laurens stakes his claim for Kvaratskhelia
TNT Sports pundit Julien Laurens has put forward his case for Kvicha Kvaratskhelia to win the Ballon d’Or. Watch what he had to say in this clip below!
Laurens argues Kvaratskhelia should win Ballon d’Or ahead of Kane
Video credit: TNT Sports
09:45 – Cubarsi not heading to Ballon d’Or ceremony
It has been revealed which Barcelona players will be heading to the Ballon d’Or ceremony tonight. Lamine Yamal – nominated in both the Ballon d’Or and Kopa Trophy categories, last year’s winner, Rodri, and goalkeeper Joan Garcia, will all be in London tonight.
However, one notable absentee is Pau Cubarsi, who like Yamal, has been nominated in both the Ballon d’Or and Kopa Trophy categories. Spanish outlet SPORT revealed news, which you can read in their article here.
‘Everyone knows Yamal is the best in the world’ – Cubarsi backs team-mate’s Ballon d’Or bid
Video credit: SNTV
09:30 – Hargreaves and Lescott backing KaneOwen Hargreaves and Joleon Lescott are both backing Harry Kane to win the Ballon d’Or. The TNT Sports pundits were speaking in the live coverage ahead of Aston Villa’s win over Manchester City on Saturday. Watch what they had to say in the clip below!
‘I think he’s going to win it’ – Does Kane deserve Ballon d’Or title?
Video credit: TNT Sports
09:15 – Can a player win two awards at the Ballon d’Or ceremony?
The short answer is: “yes.” In the men’s award, Lamine Yamal could win both the Ballon d’Or and the Kopa Trophy – the award given to the best player under the age of 21.
Meanwhile, Barcelona and Spain goalkeeper Cata Coll could also win the Women’s Ballon d’Or and the Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year. We shed further light on this question in the piece below!
09:00 – How does the Ballon d’Or voting work?
That’s a very good question, and we’ve got you covered with this piece below. The men’s and women’s awards are decided by journalists – 100 for the men’s award, and 50 for the women’s award. For all the key information you need, click on the link below!
08:45 – Who should win the Ballon d’Or?
Want an idea of all the leading runners and riders? We’ve got you covered in this clip below!
Kane, Yamal or Messi – who should win the Ballon d’Or? Running the rule over the candidates
Video credit: TNT Sports
08:30 – How to watch the Ballon d’Or ceremonyWe’ve collated all the details you need to tune into tonight’s ceremony, which you watch for free via ballondor.com. The ceremony starts 20:00 GMT!08:15 – Ballon d’or full running order
To ensure you’ve got a clear idea of what will be happening later, we’ve published a piece detailing the full order of the ceremony tonight.
I just mentioned that the rankings will start to be announced at 17:30 GMT, when the players ranked between 30th and 11th are confirmed. The winner of the men’s Ballon d’Or is expected to be revealed at 23:00 GMT, and we should hear from the lucky winners afterwards.
The full details are in this piece below!
08:00 – Good Morning!
The day is finally here!
Today we will see the winner of the 2026 Ballon d’Or announced, and there will be plenty of people within the Kane family that will have a keen eye on proceedings. We’ll have all the very best build-up right here, before the rankings start to be revealed at 17:30 GMT.
‘I think he’s going to win it’ – Does Kane deserve Ballon d’Or title?
Video credit: TNT Sports
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