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France Football moves 2026 Ballon d’Or to London Palladium

By Drooid · Oct 25, 2026, 2:47 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Ballon d'Or in London

France Football will host the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony at London Palladium, first time outside Paris.
Ceremony is on Oct. 26, 2026 at 8 p.m. and streams on ballondor.com and DAZN.
Hosts Thierry Henry and Kate Scott will present awards honoring winner Stanley Matthews.
Harry Kane scored 73 goals in 2025-26, leading the Bundesliga scoring charts.
A Kane win would be the first English Ballon d'Or since 2001 and Bayern’s first since 1981.

Summary

PSG Schedules Lyon

PSG coach Luis Enrique says the club will play Lyon despite the Ballon d’Or ceremony overlap.
The rescheduled match is timed to finish just before the ceremony ends at 20:30 Paris time.
Lionel Messi will receive Princess of Asturias Sport Award in Oviedo before deciding travel after his Inter Miami match Saturday.
PSG faces injuries to Dembele, Marquinhos and Kvaratskhelia ahead of the Lyon clash and the awards night.

History

Historical Context

France Football launched the Ballon d’Or in 1956, awarding Stanley Matthews the first trophy; the prize shifted from a Europe-only journalists’ vote to a global, season-based award judged by an international jury after the 2022 rule change and co-organized by UEFA from 2024. The 2026 ceremony at London’s Palladium, hosted by Thierry Henry and Kate Scott, could see Harry Kane become first English winner since Michael Owen in 2001.

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Ballon d'Or in London

France Football will host the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony at London Palladium, first time outside Paris.
Ceremony is on Oct. 26, 2026 at 8 p.m. and streams on ballondor.com and DAZN.
Hosts Thierry Henry and Kate Scott will present awards honoring winner Stanley Matthews.
Harry Kane scored 73 goals in 2025-26, leading the Bundesliga scoring charts.
A Kane win would be the first English Ballon d'Or since 2001 and Bayern’s first since 1981.

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