Officially: Date for announcing the Ballon d'Or 2026 nominees

Football fans around the world are eagerly awaiting the 70th edition of the Ballon d'Or ceremony, with great anticipation for the announcement of the nominees in various categories ahead of the official event in London.

The Ballon d'Or ceremony is set to take place on Monday, October 26, 2026, in London, where the best male and female players in the world from the past season will be crowned, alongside honoring several of the most prominent rising talents, goalkeepers, coaches, and clubs.

France Football, in collaboration with the award organizers, is set to unveil the lists of nominees in all categories on September 8, with the names being announced on the official website of the Ballon d'Or.

Ten nominees for the Best Young Male Talent award and five nominees for the Best Young Female Talent award will be announced, along with ten nominees for the Best Male Goalkeeper award and five for the female category.

The lists also include 5 coaches nominated for the Best Men's Coach award and 5 for the women's category, along with 10 forwards nominated for the Best Men's Forward award and 5 for the women's, as well as 5 clubs nominated for the Best Men's Club award and 5 for the women's.

Following the announcement of the nominee lists, an international committee of specialized journalists will oversee the voting process, with one journalist representing each country from the top 100 men's teams in the FIFA rankings and the top 50 women's teams.

Each journalist selects the top 10 players from the final list based on three main criteria: individual and decisive performance, collective achievements and titles, along with the level and sportsmanship both on and off the pitch.

The player in first place in the voting receives 15 points, while points decrease gradually until the player in tenth place receives only one point. All votes are then tallied to determine the final winner.

London has been chosen to host the 70th edition of the Ballon d'Or, honoring the first player to win the award in history, Englishman Sir Stanley Matthews, who won the prize in 1956. This comes after the French capital, Paris, had been hosting the Ballon d'Or ceremonies since 2019.