Ballon d’Or 2026: All You Need to Know About Football’s Most Prestigious Award

The 70th Ballon d’Or is set to be announced on 26th October 2026 at the London Palladium in London, United Kingdom for the best football player in the men’s and women’s categories for the 2025-2026 season. It is football’s most prestigious award, and players want to win this award to be recognised as the best football player in the world. It was created by the France Football in the year 1956 and it has been evolved from a European football award to one of the sport’s most prestigious individual honours. This ceremony is co-organised by the France Football and the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA).

What is the Ballon d’Or Award?

It is an individual award created by the French magazine France Football in 1956, and it recognises the best men’s and Women’s football players based on their individual performance during the particular season.

Over the nearly seven decades since its creation, the Ballon d’Or has been considered as the highest individual prize that a player can earn within the football world. The award was founded back in 1956 and it celebrates the talents who have shaped the beautiful game with their skills and successes.

The legacy of the Ballon d’Or ranges from its very first award recipient to the present-day football superstars. The story of this award is told through the greats of the football world.

English footballer Sir Stanley Matthews, who played for the Blackpool, was the inaugural winner of this prestigious award. For the year 2026, London was selected for the ceremony to pay tribute to the legend.

The Ballon d’Or is an annual individual football award established by French magazine France Football in 1956. It recognises the best male and female players based on their performances during the relevant season.

The women’s Ballon d’Or, also known as the Ballon d’Or Féminin, was introduced in the year 2018. Norway’s Ada Hegerberg became its first winner.

How Does the Selection for the Ballon d’Or Happen?

Ballon d’Or is decided by an international jury comprising specialists and football journalists. For the 2026 edition, there will be a total of 100 football journalists representing the top 100 countries on the list of FIFA men’s rankings.

50 journalists will also represent the top 50 countries according to the FIFA women’s ranking.

Each juror votes for ten players from a pool of 30 nominees.

The points awarded are as follows,

Criteria for Ballon d’Or Award

There are three criteria mentioned in the award rules, and they are listed in order of priority as follows,

1. Personal performance of the player.

2. Team performance and success: the contribution of the player to his team and the success achieved by his club or national team.

3. Class and Fair Play: sporting behaviour of the player.

The voting for the 2026 edition includes the 2025-26 season: 3 August 2025 – 19 July 2026, inclusive of the designated international tournaments according to the regulations.

Evolution of the Ballon d’Or

The criteria for winning the Ballon d’Or have greatly evolved since its inauguration in 1956.

• 1956: The first Ballon d’Or was presented to Stanley Matthews. Only European footballers playing for European clubs could compete at this time.
• 1995: Eligibility criteria were extended to include non-Europeans playing for European clubs. Liberian striker George Weah became the first winner from Africa.
• 2007: The award became open to all footballers from around the world irrespective of their nationalities or the continent on which they play.
• 2009-2015: The Ballon d’Or was announced with the FIFA’s World Player of the Year Award and it became the FIFA Ballon d’Or.
• 2016: France Football revived the Ballon d’Or award as a standalone event after it parted ways with the FIFA.
• 2018: The first Ballon d’Or for women was announced.
• 2024: UEFA started co-hosting the awards alongside with the France Football and the L’Équipe Group.

There was no 2020 Ballon d’Or due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

What is the Super Ballon d’Or?

The Super Ballon d’Or is a unique and extremely rare award, as it honours a player’s accomplishments throughout his entire career, rather than in a specific year.

This prize was awarded only once, on 24 December 1989, to Alfredo Di Stéfano, the famous striker of Real Madrid, who won the Ballon d’Or in 1957 and 1959. The voting procedure involved the opinions of France Football’s readers, a jury, and former winners of the Ballon d’Or.

Do not confuse it with the yearly Ballon d’Or. Unlike the latter one, which is awarded every year, the Super Ballon d’Or has no specific annual awarding cycle. This award was later sold at an auction in 2021 for £187,500, and its current whereabouts are said to be unknown.

Recent Men’s Ballon d’Or Winners List (2016-2026)

Recent Women’s Ballon d’Or Winners List (2018-2026)

Players With Most Men’s Ballon d’Or Winners List

Players With Most Women’s Ballon d’Or Winners List