The 2026 Ballon d'Or is presented at the London Palladium on Monday 26 October, UK time, in the early hours of 27 October in Vietnam. Three stories away from the pitch have dominated the build-up. Barcelona are said to be considering a boycott if Lamine Yamal does not win, BongdaPlus reported, citing El Heraldo. Paris Saint-Germain have 10 players on the shortlist but must play Lyon in Ligue 1 the same evening, according to Bongda24h. And the venue itself is a tribute: the Guardian reported that the ceremony is being held in England to honour Stanley Matthews, who won the first Ballon d'Or 70 years ago.
Barcelona weigh staying away
According to BongdaPlus, El Heraldo reported that the Catalan club are considering a strong response should Yamal lose out to Kylian Mbappé, whom BongdaPlus describes as having emerged as a leading contender. Staying away from the ceremony to signal disagreement with the vote is one of the options mentioned.
BongdaPlus stressed that this is only a possibility under discussion, not an official decision, and that any reaction depends on what happens before the gala and on the final result. A boycott would echo Real Madrid, who once skipped the ceremony because they disagreed with the outcome. For more background, see our earlier story on Real Madrid and Yamal's flight to London.
Yamal also has a high-profile backer in Robert Lewandowski, his former Barcelona team-mate. The Polish striker told The Athletic that he supports Yamal winning the award, pointing to how good he already is at his age, SGGP reported. Lewandowski also had warm words for Harry Kane and Michael Olise, both stars at his old club Bayern Munich.
PSG's clash with Lyon
Bongda24h, carrying a report from Thể thao & Văn hóa, said Ligue 1 organiser LFP announced on 23 October that PSG's round 8 home game against Lyon would be pushed back by a day at the request of the Paris police. Instead of Sunday 25 October, the match at the Parc des Princes now kicks off at 20:30 French time on Monday 26 October, which is 2:30am on 27 October in Vietnam, overlapping with the ceremony in London.
PSG have 10 players on the men's shortlist, among them Ousmane Dembélé, who won the award in 2025, Achraf Hakimi, Vitinha, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Marquinhos. Luis Enrique is nominated for men's coach of the year, Warren Zaire-Emery is on the Kopa Trophy list for young players, and goalkeeper Matvey Safonov is in contention for the Yashin Trophy.
Citing English media, Bongda24h said the new date could keep most of the squad away from London, although some injured players may be allowed to attend. Dembélé, Kvaratskhelia and Marquinhos all had physical problems after the midweek Champions League game against Barcelona, and Kvaratskhelia has ruptured the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee and needs surgery.
Seventy years after Blackpool
The first Ballon d'Or was handed over in the more modest surroundings of Blackpool town hall, the Guardian recalled. Matthews, a 41-year-old at the time, received it from Gabriel Hanot, the L'Équipe editor who came up with the idea of crowning the world's best player every year. The switch from the award's usual home in Paris is a mark of respect to him, the paper said. His son, Stanley Matthews Jr, remembered a presentation with no real ceremony and contrasted it with the huge event it has become. “We’re very excited,” he told the Guardian. Of his father, he said: “He was so far ahead of his time.”
Key moments in Matthews' career, as set out by the Guardian:
| Year | Milestone |
|---|---|
| 1932 | Starts his career at his local club, Stoke |
| December 1956 | Wins the first Ballon d'Or |
| 1957 | Wins the last of his 54 England caps, aged 42 |
| 1961 | The maximum wage is abolished; until then he earned at most £20 a week |
| 1965 | Becomes the first active player to be knighted, a few months before retiring at 50 |
| 2000 | Dies aged 85; more than 100,000 people turn out for his funeral in Stoke |
Matthews remains the oldest Ballon d'Or winner. Since then only three Englishmen, Bobby Charlton, Kevin Keegan and Michael Owen, and one African player, George Weah, have followed him. The Guardian counts Harry Kane among this year's favourites. Matthews Jr is attending with his sister Jean and her two daughters.
What comes next
SGGP reported that the ceremony begins at 3am on 27 October Vietnam time, and Bongda24h said the race between Kane, Mbappé and Yamal will be settled in the early hours of 27 October Vietnam time. The order of the awards and the pre-ceremony surveys are in our Ballon d'Or 2026 schedule in Vietnam time. PSG will be playing Lyon in Paris at the same time, and whether Barcelona follow through on any protest depends on the name read out in London.