2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony in London awards club, player and coach honors

The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony took place at the London Palladium on Monday, Oct. 26, after a brief delay. Paris Saint-Germain was named Men’s Club of the Year, having captured a second consecutive UEFA Champions League title along with Ligue 1, the Trophee des Champions, the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup. FC Barcelona earned Women’s Club of the Year after winning a domestic quadruple and the UEFA Women’s Champions League.

Arsenal and England forward Bukayo Saka received the Socrates Award for his humanitarian work with the BigShoe charity, reading a letter from a Rwandan child during the presentation. Spain’s goalkeeper Unai Simón was named the men’s Yashin Trophy winner, while Barcelona’s Cata Coll won the women’s Yashin Trophy, marking the first time a Barcelona and Spain goalkeeper has taken the prize.

Spain’s World Cup-winning manager Luis de la Fuente was honored as Men’s Coach of the Year, and Barcelona’s 32-year-old women’s coach Pere Romeu received the Women’s Coach of the Year award. Barcelona striker Vicky López won the Women’s Kopa Trophy for the second consecutive year, and Lamine Yamal claimed the men’s Kopa Trophy for the third straight year.

The ceremony also featured a performance by Jorja Smith and was hosted by Kate Scott, who was joined by former footballer Thierry Henry. Brazilian legend Ronaldo participated in the award presentations but said he did not know the eventual Ballon d'Or winner.

Lionel Messi was absent from the event, attending the Messi Cup in Miami, while Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane arrived in London as leading contenders for the men’s Ballon d'Or. Betting odds listed Kane as the clear favorite, followed by Mbappé and Yamal.

The awards ceremony highlighted a range of honors beyond the main Ballon d’Or, including the Gerd Müller Trophy for best striker, the Cruyff Trophy for coach of the year, and the Socrates Award for humanitarian contributions.