Football fans around the world are turning their attention to the 70th edition of the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony, amid anticipation to know the nominees in various categories, before the curtains fall on the event during the awaited ceremony in the English capital, London.
London is expected to host the Ballon d'Or ceremony on Monday, October 26, 2026, where the best male and female players in the world for the past season will be revealed, alongside the distribution of several awards for the most prominent young talents, goalkeepers, coaches, and clubs.
"France Football" magazine, in cooperation with the award organizers, is preparing to reveal the nominees lists in various categories on September 8th, with the names to be published on the official Ballon d'Or award website.
The nomination lists include 10 male players competing for the Best Young Talent award, compared to 5 female nominees. Additionally, there are 10 male nominees for the Best Goalkeeper award and 5 female nominees.
The nominations also include 5 male coaches for the Best Coach award and 5 female coaches. Furthermore, 10 male forwards are nominated for the Best Forward award, with 5 female forwards. Finally, 5 clubs are selected to compete for the Best Club award for men, and the same number for women.
Following the announcement of the final lists, the voting stage begins through an international committee comprising specialized journalists, with one journalist from each of the top 100 national teams in the men's FIFA rankings, and the top 50 national teams in the women's rankings.
Each journalist is asked to select the top 10 players from the final list, based on three main criteria: individual and decisive performance, collective achievements and titles, as well as the player's level and sporting conduct on and off the pitch.
The player ranked first in each journalist's vote receives 15 points, and the points gradually decrease according to the order of selection, down to the player in tenth place who receives one point, before the total votes are tallied to determine the final winner of the award.
London hosting the 70th edition of the Ballon d'Or holds a special significance, as it comes in tribute to the English Sir Stanley Matthews, the first player in history to win the award, after receiving it in 1956. This is in contrast to the French capital, Paris, which has hosted the award ceremony as usual since 2019.