Ballon d'Or 2026: When, where to watch, timings, favourites and how voting works

Football fans in the UAE will have to stay up late tonight if they want to watch the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony live.

The 70th edition of football's most prestigious individual awards will take place in London on Monday, October 26, with the main ceremony beginning at midnight UAE time on Tuesday.

England captain Harry Kane is among the favourites for the men's award, but Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal are also in contention.

The ceremony will also recognise the best female footballer, coaches, goalkeepers, young players and clubs.

And the good news for fans in the UAE is that they can watch the entire ceremony live for free.

Here are the timings, streaming details, leading contenders and everything else you need to know.

The ceremony will begin at 11am UAE time on Tuesday, October 27.

Fans can follow the red carpet arrivals from 10pm on Monday, October 26, when some of football's biggest names are expected to make their way into the venue.

The main ceremony begins two hours later.

Football fans across the UAE can watch the Ballon d'Or ceremony live and free on DAZN.

The streaming platform has secured broadcasting rights across approximately 200 markets, including the UAE.

Viewers can visit DAZN's website or use its app to watch the ceremony. Those without an account can register for free.

The official Ballon d'Or website will also provide updates, rankings and results throughout the evening.

For the first time in its 70 year history, the Ballon d'Or ceremony will be held outside France.

London's famous Palladium Theatre will host the event, with former France and Arsenal striker Thierry Henry joining sports presenter Kate Scott as hosts.

There is also an interesting reason behind choosing London.

The first Ballon d'Or was awarded in 1956 to English football legend Stanley Matthews, and organisers decided to honour him by bringing the 70th edition to England.

Harry Kane is the leading contender heading into Monday's ceremony.

The Bayern Munich striker enjoyed an extraordinary campaign, scoring goals consistently for club and country and helping Bayern secure the Bundesliga title.

Kane has been one of Europe's most prolific goalscorers for several seasons, but the Ballon d'Or has so far eluded him.

Winning it in London would make the occasion even more special for the England captain.

However, he faces competition from two of football's biggest stars.

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappe is another strong contender following an impressive campaign that included winning the Golden Boot at the 2026 World Cup.

Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal is also firmly in the picture.

The Spanish youngster has established himself among the world's best players and played an important role in Spain's World Cup triumph.

A Ballon d'Or victory would be another remarkable achievement for a player who has already broken several records at such a young age.

The 30 player shortlist also includes Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele and Lionel Messi.

Messi, who has won the award a record eight times, remains on the shortlist, although he is not considered among the leading favourites this year.

Alexia Putellas is among the strongest contenders for the women's award.

The Spanish midfielder, who previously won the trophy in 2021 and 2022, enjoyed another outstanding campaign with Barcelona before moving to London City Lionesses.

A third victory would see her equal the record of compatriot Aitana Bonmati, who won the award in 2023, 2024 and 2025.

Manchester City striker Khadija Shaw, Barcelona forward Ewa Pajor and Lyon's Melchie Dumornay are also in contention after impressive seasons.

One of the most common questions surrounding the Ballon d'Or is how the winner is chosen.

Unlike awards decided through fan polls, supporters do not get to vote for the Ballon d'Or winner.

Instead, the decision rests with a panel of football journalists from around the world.

For the men's award, journalists representing the top 100 countries in the FIFA rankings are selected to vote.

The women's award follows a similar system, with journalists representing the top 50 countries.

Each journalist chooses ten players from a shortlist of 30 and ranks them according to their performances.

The player ranked first receives 15 points, followed by 12 points for second place and ten for third.

The remaining positions receive eight, seven, five, four, three, two and one point respectively.

Once all votes are counted, the player with the highest total wins the Ballon d'Or.

If two players finish level on points, the number of first place votes decides the winner. If they are still tied, second place votes are considered, followed by third place votes and so on.

Interestingly, scoring the most goals or winning the most trophies does not automatically guarantee the Ballon d'Or.

France Football has established three main criteria for selecting the winner.

Individual performances come first, including how influential and decisive a player has been throughout the season.

Team achievements are considered next, followed by class and fair play.

For the 2026 award, the voting period covers performances between August 3, 2025, and July 19, 2026.

This includes the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which could play an important role in determining the winner.

Performances during the opening months of the current club season are not considered.

PSG forward Ousmane Dembele won the men's Ballon d'Or last year after playing a major role in the French club's successful campaign where they won Champions League and all domestic trophies.

Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati claimed the women's award for the third consecutive year.

Lionel Messi remains the most successful player in Ballon d'Or history with eight titles, while Cristiano Ronaldo follows with five.

With Kane, Mbappe and Yamal among the main contenders, it remains to be seen who will add their name to that list when the winners are announced in London tonight.