The 70th Ballon d’Or awards ceremony will take place in London tonight, marking a historic edition as the event moves away from Paris for the first time.
The ceremony will begin at 9:00 PM at the London Palladium, with the main focus on the race to be crowned the best footballer in the world.
Harry Kane and Lamine Yamal are among the leading contenders, while Kylian Mbappé is also hoping to be among the names competing for the prestigious trophy.
The ceremony will be hosted by Thierry Henry and Kate Scott, with guests expected to arrive from 7:00 PM.
30 Candidates for the Ballon d’Or
The list published by France Football features 30 footballers, including well-known names such as Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappé, Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, Erling Haaland, Ousmane Dembélé and Vinícius Júnior.
The competition is expected to be intense, as several nominees have enjoyed successful seasons with their clubs and national teams. Alongside Kane and Yamal, other players hoping to win the award include Rodri, Fabián Ruiz, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Mbappé.
The full list of nominees:
Jude Bellingham, Pau Cubarsí, Ousmane Dembélé, Marc Cucurella, Luis Díaz, Bruno Fernandes, Gabriel Magalhães, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Achraf Hakimi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Lamine Yamal, Sadio Mané, Marquinhos, Lautaro Martínez, Kylian Mbappé, Nuno Mendes, Lionel Messi, João Neves, Michael Olise, Willian Pacho, Julián Quiñones, Declan Rice, Rodri Hernández, Fabián Ruiz, Ferran Torres, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano, Vinícius Júnior and Vitinha.
How Is the Winner Determined?
The award recognises individual performances during the 2025/26 season, including matches played at the World Cup. The winner is determined by a jury of specialist journalists selected from countries ranked on the relevant FIFA lists.
Each voter selects ten footballers from the list of 30 nominees, awarding points according to their ranking: 15, 12, 10, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1. The player who accumulates the most points wins the trophy.
Other Awards to Be Presented Tonight
In addition to the men’s and women’s Ballon d’Or awards, several other individual and team trophies will be presented during the ceremony.
The Kopa Trophy recognises the best young footballer, while the Yashin Trophy honours the best goalkeeper. The Gerd Müller Trophy rewards the best goalscorers.
Meanwhile, the Johan Cruyff Trophy is dedicated to the best coaches, while the Sócrates Award recognises contributions to social and humanitarian initiatives.
The nominees for the Men’s Club of the Year award are Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Bayern Munich, Bodø/Glimt and Flamengo.
This year’s ceremony is expected to attract the attention of football fans around the world, with London hosting the most prestigious individual awards in football for the first time.