London Hosts the Ballon d'Or Ceremony for the First Time

The British capital, London, is preparing to host an unprecedented historical event, as it will host the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony for the first time in 2026. This special edition, which coincides with the 70th anniversary of the award's establishment, is set to take place on October 26, as announced by the organizers on Thursday.

The relocation of the ceremony from its usual venue in Paris to London marks a notable step in the history of the award, which is presented by the French magazine "France Football." This move reflects a clear intention to strengthen its presence as a more widespread and influential global brand, as confirmed by the "L'Équipe" group, the magazine's owner.

Throughout the history of the award, four English players have managed to win the Ballon d'Or. The first was Stanley Matthews, who inaugurated the list of winners in the first edition in 1956, while the most recent was Michael Owen in 2001.

This development comes at a time when the latest edition saw Frenchman Ousmane Dembélé, a forward for Paris Saint-Germain, win the men's Ballon d'Or, alongside Spaniard Aitana Bonmatí, a midfielder for Barcelona, who continued her dominance in the women's Ballon d'Or.

Since the award's inception in 1956, approximately 68 Ballon d'Or trophies have been awarded, with only one edition canceled in 2020 due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, marking one of the exceptional moments in the award's history.

Between 2010 and 2015, the award was merged with the "Best" award presented by the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA), becoming known as the "FIFA Ballon d'Or" during that period, before each party later returned to organizing their respective awards separately.

The Argentine Lionel Messi remains the most prominent figure in the history of the award, having won it 8 times, spread across his career with Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, and Inter Miami.

As for the Women's Ballon d'Or, the award was introduced in 2018 and has seen clear dominance by Barcelona players. Spaniards Aitana Bonmatí (three times) and Alexia Putellas (twice) have won, along with other winners including American Megan Rapinoe and Norwegian Ada Hegerberg. The 2019 edition was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.