Ballon d’Or 2026 Live: Bellingham finished 11th as top 10 men await stage reveal, top 10 women confirmed – The Tech Word News
The Ballon d’Or returns on Monday night, bringing together the biggest names in world football for the 70th edition of the award that has long shaped debates about the game’s greatest players. The ceremony, which is being held for the first time at the London Palladium in London, will crown the best men’s and women’s players from the eligible period, which ran from 3 August 2025 to 19 July 2026.
Four names dominate the men’s conversation: Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé and Lionel Messi. Kane comes with an outstanding goalscoring record for Bayern Munich, scoring 73 goals in 65 games across the competition during the campaign. His Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal triumphs bolster him, although England’s third-place finish at the World Cup leaves questions about his international success.
Yamal, meanwhile, proved a serious contender at just 19 years old, scoring 25 goals and 20 assists in 57 games and continuing to establish himself as one of Barcelona’s and Spain’s leading players. Mbappé has had another outstanding individual season, scoring 58 goals and providing 13 assists in 60 appearances, but his lack of major team honors could affect the final vote.
Messi remains in the conversation despite playing his club soccer with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer. The eight-time winner is back among the 30 nominees after missing out on the previous two editions, following another influential World Cup campaign with Argentina. A win would give him nine Ballon d’Or titles and extend his record.
The women’s race will produce a new winner after Aitana Bonmatí, who has claimed the award three years in a row, was not shortlisted after suffering a broken leg. Two-time winner Alexia Putellas is among the favorites after another successful campaign with Barcelona, while Khadija Shaw and Claudia Pina are among the other names to watch.
The awards are decided by specialist football journalists, with individual performances, team achievements and sportsmanship being the central criteria. The ceremony starts at 20:00 GMT on Monday, which corresponds to 1:30 IST on Tuesday, October 27.
Follow our live coverage of the winners, key moments and reactions as football’s biggest individual awards are announced.