Who Won the 2026 Ballon d'Or? Ceremony Unfolds in London

Football fans asking who won the 2026 Ballon d'Or are watching a historic evening unfold live from London. The ceremony got underway at the London Palladium after a short delay, with the crowning of the men's and women's Ballon d'Or winners set for the final moments of the broadcast.

The event marks the 70th anniversary of the award, created by France Football in 1956. Organisers relocated the gala from Paris to London to honour Sir Stanley Matthews, the English winger who won the inaugural trophy seven decades ago.

The Frontrunners for the Men's Golden Ball England captain Harry Kane enters the night as a major favourite following a prolific goal-scoring campaign with Bayern Munich. If Kane lifts the trophy, he will become the first English player to win the award since Michael Owen in 2001.

Barcelona's teenage phenom Lamine Yamal stands as Kane's chief rival on the night. The electric Spanish winger, already a record-breaker on the international and continental stage, is bidding to become the youngest winner in the history of the men's award.

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé also features prominently in the voting calculations. The French superstar remains in contention following his high-impact debut season in Spain, alongside reigning holder Ousmane Dembélé, Erling Haaland, and Vinícius Júnior.

Early Trophies Signal Heavy Spanish Sweep While the headline Ballon d'Or winners remain unannounced, several major individual honours were confirmed during the opening segment of the gala. Spanish football enjoyed a clean sweep of the evening's preliminary categories.

Lamine Yamal collected the men's Kopa Trophy for the world's best young player, while Barcelona teammate Vicky López claimed the women's equivalent.

In the coaching categories, Spain national team manager Luis de la Fuente was awarded Men's Coach of the Year, while Barcelona's Pere Romeu received Women's Coach of the Year.

Athletic Club's Unai Simón took home the men's Yashin Trophy for goalkeeper of the year, alongside Barcelona and Spain goalkeeper Cata Coll, who captured the women's prize.

How the Final Votes Are Decided The winner of the men's Ballon d'Or is determined by an international jury of 100 sports journalists representing FIFA's top-ranked nations.

Voters rank their top players based on three strict criteria: individual performance and decisive impact on the pitch, collective team success and trophies won, and exemplary conduct and fair play.

Unlike older calendar-year formats, the 2026 edition evaluates performances across the full European season, including major international tournaments and domestic league campaigns.

The Decisive Moment Awaits The announcement of the men's and women's Ballon d'Or winners serves as the grand climax of the London ceremony.

With voting kept strictly sealed until the envelope is opened on stage, the football world will discover within minutes who succeeds last year's champions to take home the golden ball.