Ballon d’Or 2026 award ceremony LIVE: Winners, reactions and latest news

The 2026 Ballon d’Or recognizes performances from August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026. Specialized journalists choose the winners, with representatives from the top 100 FIFA-ranked countries voting for the men’s award and the top 50 for the women’s. Each juror ranks 10 players from a 30-player shortlist, awarding points that determine the winner, with individual performances, team achievements, and fair play considered in that order. Created in 1956 by Gabriel Hanot and Jacques Ferran, the women’s award began in 2018, and UEFA has co-organized the prizes since 2024.