Ballon d'Or 2026: London Ceremony, Favourites and Voting Criteria
The 2026 Ballon d'Or football award ceremony is set to take place in London. Al Jazeera Sport has published an explainer on the voting criteria, leading candidates and the award's history.
The winner of the 2026 Ballon d'Or, football's individual award, will be announced at a ceremony in London. The Ballon d'Or is one of the most prestigious individual honours in the sport, and its recipient is decided by a vote.
The sports desk of Al Jazeera, the Qatar-based media network, has released an explainer ahead of the event. It sets out the criteria used in the voting, looks at the leading candidates for the prize and covers the history of the award. It is also meant to help readers find out how to watch the ceremony.
The short summary of the piece does not name specific dates, candidates or viewing options. Those details are in the full Al Jazeera article.
Why it matters
The Ballon d'Or winner is often seen as the footballer of the year on a global scale, so the voting process and the field of favourites draw wide attention. The London ceremony will conclude this year's race for the trophy.
