The Ballon d’Or awards ceremony is set to move to London for the first time in its history, organisers have announced. Multiple outlets report the 2026 ceremony will take place on October 26, marking the event’s 70th anniversary. The award was first presented in 1956 to England legend Stanley Matthews, and the anniversary is being used as a key reason for the change in location. Traditionally, the Ballon d’Or has been staged at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, but the organisers say the 2026 edition will cross the Channel to the United Kingdom.
The ceremony is organised by France Football with UEFA, which have framed the London move as both a tribute to the Ballon d’Or’s longstanding heritage and a celebration of the modern game’s global reach. Reports agree on the date and the anniversary context, with the relocation presented as a historic first for the prestigious individual football awards.
