The key facts

  • The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony will be held in London, not Paris, for the first time, marking the award's 70th anniversary
  • The start is at 01:00 Tashkent time, with Thierry Henry and Kate Scott as hosts
  • The main contenders for the prize are Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) and Lamine Yamal (Barcelona)

The ceremony will be held in London for the first time

In the early hours of October 27, the winner of the Ballon d'Or for the completed season will be announced. For the first time in history, the award ceremony will take place not in Paris, but at the London Palladium theatre — this is connected with the award's 70th anniversary: its first recipient in 1956 was the English footballer Stanley Matthews. The start is scheduled for 01:00 Tashkent time, and the organisers expect to present all the awards within two hours. The ceremony will be hosted by former French footballer Thierry Henry and television presenter Kate Scott. Since 2024, the ceremony has been held in partnership between France Football magazine and UEFA.

Who is in contention for the main prize

According to Kun.uz, two main candidates are competing for the top award: Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane and Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal. The Englishman boasts outstanding scoring figures, while the Spaniard has a World Cup victory to his name. Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Rodri are also mentioned, though with a higher but not leading assessment of their chances.

The case for Kane

The 2025/26 season was the most prolific of Kane's career: 61 goals in 51 official matches for Bayern. With 36 goals, he finished as the Bundesliga's top scorer and won the European Golden Boot for the second season in a row. The publication emphasises that the significance of the result increases when one considers the smaller number of matchdays in the Bundesliga (34) and the fact that Kane did not take part in club matches (31 games). Including matches for the national team, his tally stands at 73 goals in 65 matches. His trophies for the season include the Bundesliga title and top scorer award, the German Cup and Super Cup, a World Cup bronze medal and the Golden Boot. The evolution of his play is also noted: Kane has become a forward who drops deep — in a recent match against Arsenal, fans saw him starting his team's attacks and even delivering the ball to the front line from the goalkeeper's position.