The Ballon d’Or has never been handed out beyond France in its 70-year history. Tonight that changes.
The 70th edition is staged at the London Palladium from 8pm local time, with Thierry Henry and Kate Scott hosting a gala moved to Britain in a nod to England’s Stanley Matthews, the award’s inaugural winner in 1956.
From quadruple to third crown
Alexia Putellas sits as the clear favorite on the women’s side. The Spain captain is the only former winner on this year’s shortlist, with reigning three-time champion Aitana Bonmatí absent from the nominees after a season disrupted by injury.
Putellas drove Barcelona Femení to a historic quadruple in 2025-26: the Champions League, Liga F, Copa de la Reina and Spanish Super Cup. She also captained Spain to the UEFA Women’s Nations League title.
The 32-year-old then left Barcelona in July 2026 after 14 years, joining Women’s Super League side London City Lionesses as captain.
Bonmatí’s three-win record on the line
Only one woman has ever won the Ballon d’Or Féminin three times. Aitana Bonmatí took the trophy in 2023, 2024 and 2025, the last of them a record third in a row. Putellas, who won back-to-back prizes in 2021 and 2022, can draw level with her former Barcelona team-mate tonight.
Barcelona’s Ewa Pajor and Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw are the nearest challengers in the betting, with Arsenal’s Alessia Russo also on the 30-player shortlist.
Kane leads the men’s race
The men’s winner is due around 10pm local time. Harry Kane is the heavy bookmakers’ favorite after a 73-goal season for Bayern Munich, with Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal rated his biggest rivals. An English player has not lifted the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001; Kane would be only the fifth to do so.
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Alongside the two main prizes, the ceremony will hand out the Yashin Trophy for goalkeepers, the Kopa Trophy for the best under-21 player, Coach and Club of the Year, the Gerd Müller Trophy for top scorer, and the Sócrates Award for humanitarian work.
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