Unexpected changes to the 2026 Ballon d'Or.

The Ballon d'Or awards ceremony – the most prestigious individual award in world football – will not take place in Paris, France, for the first time since 1956.

The 2026 Ballon d'Or awards ceremony will take place in London, England - Photo: REUTERS

Every year, the Ballon d'Or awards ceremony, honoring the best male and female football players, is held in Paris, the capital of France.

However, recently (May 28), France Football magazine and UEFA announced that the Ballon d'Or gala will take place in London, England on October 26, 2026.

The reason given was to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the legendary English player Stanley Matthews making history by becoming the first and oldest player (41 years and 321 days old) to win the Ballon d'Or.

Bringing the award to England is all the more meaningful given that London is currently the center of world football.

This is home to Arsenal FC - the newly crowned Premier League champions who recently reached the Champions League final - and England's top scorer, Harry Kane.

Notably, the Bayern Munich striker is also among the strong contenders for the 2026 Ballon d'Or award.

Harry Kane has just had a breakout season with Bayern Munich, scoring 61 goals in 51 games. This includes 14 goals in the Champions League and 5 goals for England in the World Cup qualifiers.

Although Bayern were eliminated by PSG in the semi-finals, Kane's devastating goal-scoring form still makes him one of the contenders for this prestigious award.

The ultimate winner will be decided by a judging panel comprised of reputable sports journalists from around the globe.

Each judge will select the top 10 best players from a shortlist of 30 nominees nominated by France Football, L'Equipe, and UEFA to determine the winner of the 2026 Ballon d'Or.

TUAN LONG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/thay-doi-bat-ngo-ve-qua-bong-vang-2026-20260529121940936.htm