After a Ballon d’Or 2025 which rewarded the sparkling PSG of Luis Enrique winner of the Champions League, an immense vagueness surrounds the winner of the year 2026. The 2025-2026 season was obviously marked by the 2026 World Cup with the coronation of Spain against the Argentina of Lionel Messi (1-0, ap), on July 18. The Parisians’ second coronation in C1, dating from May 30 against Arsenal (1-1, 4 tab to 3), is relegated to the background, especially since the decisive player for the Rouge et Bleu during the European campaign, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, did not play in the North American World Cup.
The first stage of this 2026 Ballon d’Or begins next Tuesday with the announcement of the 30 named players, as recalled by Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, who will have the opportunity to highlight the stars of the game. The L’Equipe channel will reveal the players eligible for the greatest individual reward. All the favorites will be there, from Leo Messi to “Kvara” via world champions Rodri and Lamine Yamal or prolific scorers Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane. The title holder Ousmane Dembélé will be there.
The Ballon d’Or crowned in London
The lists are drawn up by the editorial staff of L’Equipe and France Football. The women’s Ballon d’Or and the Kopa, Yachine and Cruyff trophies (best coach, inducted last year) will also know their finalists. Voters will then have the opportunity to give a top 10 (compared to a top 5 previously) for a few weeks. There will be 100 journalists, one per country of the 100
first nations in the Fifa ranking, to be requested.
The ballot will be closed several weeks before the big ceremony of the 70th Ballon d’Or, on October 26 in London, and not in Paris as for many years. The gala is relocated to the English capital, officially in tribute to Stanley Matthews, the very first Ballon d’Or in history, but also because the L’Equipe group is now in partnership with UEFA for its trophy.
