The Ballon d’Or ceremony will be staged in London this year, ending its long association with Paris as the prestigious football awards celebrate their 70th anniversary.
Organisers France Football and UEFA confirmed on Thursday that the event will take place in the British capital on October 26. The move marks the first time the ceremony will be held outside Paris in decades and carries symbolic importance, with the inaugural Ballon d’Or having been won in 1956 by England icon Stanley Matthews.
England captain Harry Kane is expected to feature prominently among this year’s contenders following a standout season with Bayern Munich. Kane delivered the highest-scoring campaign of his career and was instrumental for both club and country throughout the season.
Defending men’s winner Ousmane Dembele remains another major name in contention after playing a key role in Paris Saint-Germain’s European success. Although injuries disrupted parts of his campaign, Dembele continued to shine in the Champions League.
In the women’s category, Aitana Bonmati is once again among the favourites after guiding Barcelona Femení to another dominant season. The Spanish midfielder has established herself as one of the leading figures in world football in recent years.
The Ballon d’Or winners are selected by an international panel of journalists from a shortlist prepared jointly by France Football, L’Equipe and UEFA. Organisers said moving the anniversary edition to London reflects both the award’s history and football’s growing global reach.
Comments are closed.