The Ballon d'Or turns 70, and for the first time in its history, the ceremony leaves France. Monday night at the London Palladium, the award founded by Gabriel Hanot and Jacques Ferran in 1956 will crown a new winner — and the bookmakers have already decided it's Harry Kane. Kane's case is difficult to argue against on the numbers alone. Seventy-three goals in a single season. Bundesliga top scorer for the third consecutive year. A second European Golden Shoe. A Bundesliga title with Bayern Munich and a third-place finish leading England at the 2026 World Cup. He holds roughly 70 percent of the betting market share, which in Ballon d'Or terms amounts to a coronation rather than a contest. The challengers are formidable but face an uphill argument. Kylian Mbappe won the Golden Boot at the World Cup and set an all-time tournament goals record, which would normally be a clinching credential. Lamine Yamal, still a teenager, was part of Spain's World Cup-winning squad. Lionel Messi and the last two winners — Ousmane Dembele (2025) and Rodri (2024) — are on the 30-player shortlist, but none carries the statistical dominance Kane brings. The women's award looks like a two-horse race that's really a one-horse race. Alexia Putellas, having led Barcelona to a quadruple including the Liga F and Women's Champions League, is chasing a third Ballon d'Or to match teammate Aitana Bonmati's record. Khadija Shaw (WSL top scorer for the third straight campaign), Ewa Pajor (Women's UCL top scorer), and Melchie Dumornay (domestic treble with Lyon) round out the serious contenders. The venue choice carries deliberate symbolism. Organisers selected London to honor Stanley Matthews, the 1956 inaugural winner. The ceremony runs with Thierry Henry and Kate Scott as cohosts, with performances from French Montana and Jorja Smith — a lineup that signals the award's ongoing push toward entertainment spectacle alongside sporting prestige. The voting mechanics remain unchanged: 100 journalists for the men's award (one per top-100 FIFA-ranked nation), 50 for the women's, each ranking 10 players from a 30-player shortlist compiled by France Football and L'Equipe editorial staff with input from UEFA ambassadors Luis Figo, Fabio Capello, and Nadine Kessler. The scoring period covers August 3, 2025, through July 19, 2026. Thirteen total awards will be handed out, including the Kopa Trophy (U-21), Yashin Trophy (goalkeeper), Gerd Muller Trophy (striker), Johan Cruyff Trophy (coach), Club of the Year, and the Socrates Award for humanitarian work. Coverage begins at 17:00 GMT on Al Jazeera Sport. DAZN will livestream the ceremony for free in most countries, with L'Equipe TV carrying it in France and Telefonica in Spain. The red carpet opens at 18:00 GMT, with the official ceremony at 20:00 GMT.
