Ballon d'Or leaves Paris for London as award celebrates 70th anniversary
The Ballon d'Or ceremony will leave Paris for London on October 26 in its 70th anniversary year. The move gives the awards a symbolic English marker, with Harry Kane, Ousmane Dembele and Aitana Bonmati shaping the contest.
The Ballon d'Or ceremony, football’s most prestigious individual awards event honouring the best men’s and women’s players in the world, will move from its traditional home in Paris to London this year. Organisers France Football magazine and UEFA confirmed on Thursday that the ceremony will take place in the English capital on October 26.
The decision marks a significant shift for the event, which has long been associated with Paris, and comes in the year of the award’s 70th anniversary. The very first Ballon d'Or was won in 1956 by England great Stanley Matthews, making London a symbolic venue for the milestone edition.
The move also comes at a time when English football has enjoyed a strong presence on the European stage. London is home to England captain and record goalscorer Harry Kane, while Arsenal’s women’s team recently secured its first Premier League title in 22 years and is preparing for Saturday’s Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain.
Kane is expected to be among the major contenders for this year’s men’s Ballon d'Or after an exceptional season with Bayern Munich. The England striker scored 61 goals in 51 matches across all competitions, the best scoring return of his career. His tally included 14 goals in the Champions League, where Bayern Munich narrowly lost to PSG in the semifinals, as well as five goals for England during World Cup qualifying matches.
The current holder of the men’s Ballon d'Or is Ousmane Dembele, who claimed the prize in Paris last year after helping PSG secure their first-ever Champions League title. Dembl scored 19 goals in 39 matches for PSG this season, although he started only 11 games during their Ligue 1-winning campaign.
The French forward has also played a key role in PSG’s Champions League run, scoring seven goals ahead of the final against Arsenal. One of those strikes came in the crucial semifinal victory over Bayern Munich. However, injuries disrupted part of his season and limited his involvement with the French national team, causing him to miss five of France’s six World Cup qualifying fixtures.
In the women’s category, Spain and Barcelona star Aitana Bonmati will once again be among the leading names in contention. Bonmat has won the women’s Ballon d'Or for the past three years and remains one of the standout figures in world football despite struggling with injuries for much of the season.
The midfielder returned toward the end of Barcelona’s campaign and helped the club complete another historic season. Barcelona secured a quadruple and also captured another Women’s Champions League title last weekend after defeating OL Lyonnes in the final.
Voting for the Ballon d'Or is conducted by a global panel of journalists. Each voter selects their top 10 players from a shortlist of 30 nominees. The shortlist is prepared jointly by France Football, L’Equipe newspaper and UEFA.
The ceremony’s move to London is expected to add a fresh dimension to the event while celebrating the long history of one of football’s most iconic honours.
The Ballon d'Or ceremony, football’s most prestigious individual awards event honouring the best men’s and women’s players in the world, will move from its traditional home in Paris to London this year. Organisers France Football magazine and UEFA confirmed on Thursday that the ceremony will take place in the English capital on October 26.
The decision marks a significant shift for the event, which has long been associated with Paris, and comes in the year of the award’s 70th anniversary. The very first Ballon d'Or was won in 1956 by England great Stanley Matthews, making London a symbolic venue for the milestone edition.
The move also comes at a time when English football has enjoyed a strong presence on the European stage. London is home to England captain and record goalscorer Harry Kane, while Arsenal’s women’s team recently secured its first Premier League title in 22 years and is preparing for Saturday’s Champions League final against Paris Saint-Germain.
Kane is expected to be among the major contenders for this year’s men’s Ballon d'Or after an exceptional season with Bayern Munich. The England striker scored 61 goals in 51 matches across all competitions, the best scoring return of his career. His tally included 14 goals in the Champions League, where Bayern Munich narrowly lost to PSG in the semifinals, as well as five goals for England during World Cup qualifying matches.
The current holder of the men’s Ballon d'Or is Ousmane Dembele, who claimed the prize in Paris last year after helping PSG secure their first-ever Champions League title. Dembl scored 19 goals in 39 matches for PSG this season, although he started only 11 games during their Ligue 1-winning campaign.
The French forward has also played a key role in PSG’s Champions League run, scoring seven goals ahead of the final against Arsenal. One of those strikes came in the crucial semifinal victory over Bayern Munich. However, injuries disrupted part of his season and limited his involvement with the French national team, causing him to miss five of France’s six World Cup qualifying fixtures.
In the women’s category, Spain and Barcelona star Aitana Bonmati will once again be among the leading names in contention. Bonmat has won the women’s Ballon d'Or for the past three years and remains one of the standout figures in world football despite struggling with injuries for much of the season.
The midfielder returned toward the end of Barcelona’s campaign and helped the club complete another historic season. Barcelona secured a quadruple and also captured another Women’s Champions League title last weekend after defeating OL Lyonnes in the final.
Voting for the Ballon d'Or is conducted by a global panel of journalists. Each voter selects their top 10 players from a shortlist of 30 nominees. The shortlist is prepared jointly by France Football, L’Equipe newspaper and UEFA.
The ceremony’s move to London is expected to add a fresh dimension to the event while celebrating the long history of one of football’s most iconic honours.
