London hosts the 70th Ballon d’Or ceremony on October 26, 2026, marking the first time the historic football award leaves Paris. Presenters Thierry Henry and Kate Scott lead the evening as a tight race unfolds between Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane, and Kylian Mbappe for men’s football’s highest individual honor.
The Ballon d’Or leaves France for the British capital for the first time in its 70-year history. The ceremony takes place Monday, October 26, 2026, at the London Palladium. It starts at 20:00 GMT (23:00 Mecca time). This event commemorates the anniversary of the award established in 1956, which English player Stanley Matthews first won.
Thierry Henry and Kate Scott Host the Evening
France Football selected former Arsenal star Thierry Henry and British sports presenter Kate Scott to anchor the 70th edition. They are familiar broadcast colleagues.
Scott returns for her fourth Ballon d’Or presentation. She previously appeared in 2014, 2015, and 2025. Henry steps into the hosting role after a playing career that included nine nominations. He finished second in 2003 behind Pavel Nedved.
The pair work together covering the UEFA Champions League for CBS Sports alongside analysts Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards. Their appointment replaces the previous year’s pairing of Scott and former Dutch international Ruud Gullit. Henry described the city as his home and promised an unforgettable evening.
AVISIA Model Ranks Lamine Yamal as Favorite
Data analysis from French firm AVISIA places Barcelona and Spain winger Lamine Yamal at the top of the field. The firm used a Random Forest algorithm and its proprietary Player Index to give Yamal a 23% projection share. This comes as 100 international journalists have submitted their ballots.
The AVISIA model ranks Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane second at 21%. Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe and Manchester City midfielder Rodri follow at 19% each. Inter Miami captain Lionel Messi rounds out the top five at 18%.
Betting market odds favor Kane. They list the English forward at -180 over Yamal at +150.
Kane, Yamal, and Mbappe Compete for the Trophy
Kane logged 61 goals across 51 matches for Bayern Munich last season. He helped carry England to a third-place finish at the 2026 World Cup. Serg Gnabry voiced support for his club captain ahead of the ceremony.
Yamal anchors his candidacy in a World Cup triumph with Spain and club success with Barcelona in La Liga. Mbappe led the scoring charts in both the Champions League and La Liga. He netted 10 goals for France during their World Cup campaign.
Messi enters the conversation after scoring 25 goals and providing 12 assists in an MLS campaign. He led Inter Miami to the 2025 Leagues Cup. He also helped Argentina reach the 2026 World Cup final, where he received the “Silver Ball” as the tournament’s second-best player.
Journalist Fabrizio Romano stated on X that the Inter Miami captain was not invited to present any award to the winners. Messi is among the 30 nominees.
🚨🌕 Gnabry on Ballon d’Or: “I hope it’s Harry Kane”.“It would be lovely if he were to win it. You always wish that for a teammate. He had an incredible year. So for me of course he has done enough to win it”. pic.twitter.com/jWlzjECbpN
Manchester City enters the evening with ten total nominations across men’s and women’s categories. Last year’s winner, Ousmane Dembele, remains a long shot to retain the trophy.
The ceremony honors best coach, goalkeeper, young talents, and the Socrates Award for community work. The women’s Ballon d’Or, introduced in 2018, has been won by four different players. Aitana Bonmati took the honor in 2025.
Whether Messi will attend the ceremony remains unconfirmed.
