Why is Ballon d’Or Awards 2026 happening in London instead of Paris?

The 2026 edition of the Ballon d’Or Award Ceremony will take place at the London Palladium in England. | Photo Credit: AFP

The 2026 edition of the Ballon d’Or Award Ceremony will take place away from Paris, the event’s traditional home.

Last year, Ousmane Dembélé and Aitana Bonmatí won the men’s and women’s best player awards, respectively, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in the French capital - the host venue of the Ballon d’Or since 2019.

But this year, the Awards night will take place at the London Palladium in England.

Why is the Ballon d’Or Awards happening in London instead of Paris?

The 2026 edition of the Ballon d’Or Awards will mark the 70th anniversary of the Awards. The inaugural edition of the Awards ceremony took place in Blackpool, England, in 1956.

That year, on December 18, English football legend Sir Stanley Matthews received the Ballon d’Or Men’s Player of the Year. Matthews, then 41 years old, received the award from Gabriel Hanot, the visionary editor of L’Équipe who first formulated the Ballon d’Or, at the Blackpool Town Hall.

Stanley Matthews (left) was never booked in his 33-year league career and only reluctantly retired at 50, saying later that he should have continued for another year or two. | Photo Credit: The Hindu Photo Library

The winger with the dazzling dribbling skills played for Blackpool and Stoke and made 54 appearances for England. His starring performance was in the FA Cup final when he inspired a stunning Blackpool fightback from 1-3 down against Bolton, setting up three goals for striker Stan Mortenson with his runs and crosses. Blackpool won 4-3 and Matthews, a runner-up in 1948 and ‘51, finally won his FA Cup medal.

Matthews made his debut for his local club, Stoke, at age 17 and the first for England at age 19 against Wales in 1934. Matthews was never booked in his 33-year league career and only reluctantly retired at 50, saying later that he should have continued for another year or two.

To commemorate that occasion, the Awards night will happen in London instead of Paris in 2026.