Lionel Messi will attend the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony. His family will join him. The event takes place on October 26 at the London Palladium. This is the first time the ceremony is being held in London.
The 2026 edition is the 70th Ballon d’Or. France Football and UEFA chose London to honour Sir Stanley Matthews. Matthews was the first-ever winner of the award.
Messi is on the 30-player shortlist. He had a strong season for Inter Miami and Argentina. He is 39 years old. Many eyes will be on him during the night. Other top contenders include Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal. Messi has already won the Ballon d’Or eight times.
His presence adds a lot to the event. France Football knows that Messi and his family will draw global attention. The ceremony has had some controversy in recent years. Having Messi there makes it feel more special. It also shows respect for the history of the award.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo dominated the award for many years. But other players have won recently. Dembele won in 2025. Rodri won in 2024. Messi won in 2023 after Argentina won the World Cup. Karim Benzema won in 2022. Messi also won in 2021. The 2020 award was cancelled because of the pandemic. Messi won in 2019. Luka Modric won in 2018. Ronaldo won in 2016 and 2017.
Messi has won the most Ballon d’Or trophies. He has eight. Ronaldo is second with five. Together they won 13. Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini, and Marco van Basten each won three.
Kylian Mbappe Leads as Lamine Yamal Misses Top Three Ahead of London Ceremony
A poll by L’Équipe has put Mbappe at the front of the 2026 Ballon d’Or race. The award ceremony will be held in London on October 26.
The poll is not the official vote. But it gives a picture of where things stand. It shows Mbappe has strong support. The French forward has been in top form for another season.
The biggest surprise is Lamine Yamal. The Barcelona teenager has been one of the most talked-about candidates. But he does not appear in the top three of this poll. That has raised some eyebrows.
Behind Mbappe, the poll places Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Harry Kane. Those two complete the top three. Their presence shows the race is still competitive. But Mbappe has opened a clear gap in this particular vote.
The L’Équipe result does not decide the winner. It only adds to the debate. The real vote is done by journalists. The winner will be revealed in London.
So for now, Mbappe leads the conversation. Yamal sits outside the top three. Kane and Kvaratskhelia are close behind. The final answer comes on October 26.
The 2026 Ballon d’Or: Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, and Everything You Need to Know
The Ballon d’Or is one of the biggest individual awards in football. The 2026 edition is the 70th. The ceremony will be held on October 26 in London. It will take place at the London Palladium.
The first Ballon d’Or was given in 1956. The winner was Stanley Matthews. This year, the ceremony moves from Paris to London for the first time. The Paris venue was used for many years. So this is a big change.
Journalists decide the winner. For the men’s award, journalists from the top 100 FIFA-ranked countries vote. For the women’s award, journalists from 50 countries vote. Each voter picks 10 players from a list of 30. They give points based on their ranking. The player with the most points wins.
Last year, Ousmane Dembele won the men’s award. He plays for Paris Saint-Germain. He helped his club win the Champions League. Lamine Yamal came second. Vitinha came third.
In the women’s category, Aitana Bonmati won in 2025. It was her third win in a row. She also won in 2023 and 2024. But she is not on the shortlist this year. So there will be a new winner.
This year, several players are in the running. Lamine Yamal is one of the favourites. If he wins, he will be the youngest ever at 19. Harry Kane is also a top contender. He has scored a lot of goals for Bayern Munich. Other favourites include Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi, and Rodri. Mbappe scored many goals at the World Cup. Messi reached the final with Argentina. Rodri was key to Spain’s win.
FAQs
Q. When will the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony take place?
A. The ceremony will take place on October 26 at the London Palladium.
Q. How many Ballon d’Or awards has Lionel Messi won?
A. Lionel Messi has won the Ballon d’Or eight times.
Q. Who leads the L’Équipe poll for the 2026 Ballon d’Or?
A. Kylian Mbappe leads the poll, followed by Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Harry Kane.
Q. Who won the 2025 men’s Ballon d’Or?
A. Ousmane Dembele won the 2025 men’s Ballon d’Or.
Q. How is the Ballon d’Or winner decided?
A. Journalists rank players from a shortlist of 30, and the player with the most points wins.
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