Meet The Hosts Of 2026 Ballon d’Or Ceremony And The Nominees

The hosts of the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony have been unveiled.

 

NewsRain Nigeria reports that French football legend Thierry Henry and popular British journalist Kate Scott have been announced as the hosts for the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony.

 

France Football and UEFA disclosed this in a website publication on Monday.

 

This year’s ceremony marks the 70th anniversary of the award, which is scheduled to be held on October 26, at the London Palladium in England.

 

Henry is a 1998 World Cup winner, 2003 Ballon d’Or runner-up and a 2009 Champions League winner.

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He co-hosts the Champions League evening shows on CBS Sports in the United States, alongside Scott and ex-England internationals, Micah Richards and Jamie Carragher, among others.

 

The publication partly read, “Thierry Henry, 2003 Ballon d’Or runner-up, and British journalist Kate Scott will host the ceremony for the 70th edition of the Ballon d’Or on Monday, October 26, at the London Palladium.”

It stated further, “Who will win the 2026 Ballon d’Or? The suspense remains intact. But this Monday, exactly one week before the winners are revealed, France Football and UEFA announce the hosts of the 70th Ballon d’Or.

 

On October 26, Thierry Henry and Kate Scott will welcome the elite of world football to the London Palladium.

 

“Thierry Henry earned nine Ballon d’Or nominations and finished second in 2003. A legend of French and world football, and a 1998 World Cup and 2009 Champions League winner, he will present the gala alongside Kate Scott, an internationally renowned journalist.

 

The Briton also hosts the Champions League evenings on CBS Sports in the US, where the two are regular co-presenters.”

According to the publication, the new venue was picked to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the crowning of Sir Stanley Matthews, the first winner of the trophy in 1956.

 

“This marks a truly historic turning point, as the event had been held at the Théâtre du Châtelet, in the heart of Paris, since 2019,” it added.

 

In his remarks, Henry stated his love for the city’s football culture, having played for North London side Arsenal in his prime.

He said, “I am honoured to be hosting this year’s Ballon d’Or. London is the city I call home, and I have a deep connection to its football culture and the passionate fans here.

 

So, to be hosting here alongside my friend and colleague, Kate, feels like a natural fit.

 

“It promises to be a brilliant evening celebrating the very best of the game.”

 

Scott noted that the Ballon d’Or is an “iconic night on the football calendar and the pinnacle of individual achievement in the game.”

She expressed delight to be hosting the football award ceremony again, having hosted it in 2014 and 2015, and then as a co-host in 2025, alongside Dutch football legend Ruud Gullit.

 

See the full list of Nominees below;

Men’s Ballon d’Or

Rodrigo Hernandez — Manchester City, Barcelona/Spain

Lionel Messi — Inter Miami/Argentina

Lamine Yamal — FC Barcelona/Spain

Jude Bellingham — Real Madrid/England

Pau Cubarsí — FC Barcelona/Spain

Marc Cucurella — Chelsea, Real Madrid/Spain

Ousmane Dembélé — Paris Saint-Germain/France

Luis Díaz — Bayern Munich/Colombia

Bruno Fernandes — Manchester United/Portugal

Erling Haaland — Manchester City/Norway

Gabriel Magalhaes — Arsenal/Brazil

Harry Kane — Bayern Munich/England

Achraf Hakimi — Paris Saint-Germain/Morocco

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia — Paris Saint-Germain/Georgia

Marcos Corrêa — Paris Saint-Germain/Brazil

Lautaro Martínez — Inter Milan/Argentina

Nuno Mendes — Paris Saint-Germain/Portugal

Michael Olise — Bayern Munich/France

João Neves — Paris Saint-Germain/Portugal

Willian Pacho — Paris Saint-Germain/Ecuador

Julian Quiñones — Al-Qadsiah/Mexico

Declan Rice — Arsenal/England

Fabián Ruiz — Paris Saint-Germain/Spain

Ferran Torres — FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain/Spain

William Saliba — Arsenal/France

Dayot Upamecano — Bayern Munich/France

Vinicius Jr. — Real Madrid/Brazil

Vítor Ferreira (Vitinha) — Paris Saint-Germain/Portugal

Women’s Ballon d’Or

Selma Bacha — OL Lyonnes/France

Barbra Banda — Orlando Pride/Zambia

Klara Bühl — Bayern Munich/Germany

Esmee Brugts — FC Barcelona Femeni/Netherlands

Mariona Caldentey — Arsenal/Spain

Scarlett Camberos — Club America/Mexico

Kerstin Casparij — Manchester City Women/Netherlands

Temwa Chawinga — Kansas City Current/Malawi

Cata Coll — FC Barcelona Femeni/Spain

Melchie Dumornay — OL Lyonnes/Haiti

Caroline Graham Hansen — FC Barcelona Femeni/Norway

Alex Greenwood — Manchester City Women/England

Pernille Harder — Bayern Munich/Denmark

Patri Guijarro — FC Barcelona Femeni/Spain

Rose Lavelle — Gotham FC/US Women’s National Soccer Team

Yui Hasegawa — Manchester City Women/Japan

Mapi León — FC Barcelona Femení, London City Lionesses/Spain

Lorena — Kansas City Current/Brazil

Melvine Malard — Manchester United, Chelsea/France

Manaka Matsukubo — North Carolina Courage, Chelsea/Japan

Ewa Pajor — FC Barcelona Femení/Poland

Vivianne Miedema — Manchester City Women/Netherlands

Claudia Pina — FC Barcelona Femení/Spain

Alexia Putellas — FC Barcelona Femení, London City Lionesses/Spain

Alessia Russo — Arsenal/England

Momoko Tanikawa — Bayern Munich/Japan

Wendie Renard — OL Lyonnes/France

Khadija Shaw — Manchester City Women/Jamaica

Caroline Weir — Real Madrid, OL Lyonnes/Scotland

Tessa Wullaert — Inter Milan, Como/Belgium

 

Men’s Coach of the Year

Mikel Arteta — Arsenal

Luis de la Fuente — Spain National Team

Unai Emery — Aston Villa

Vincent Kompany — Bayern Munich

Luis Enrique — Paris Saint-Germain

Women’s Coach of the Year

Jonatan Giráldez — OL Lyonnes

Andrée Jeglertz — Manchester City Women

Nils Nielsen — Japan National Team

Pere Romeu — FC Barcelona Femeni

Elena Sadiku — Celtic FC Women/BK Häcken

 

Men’s Club of the Year

Arsenal

Bayern Munich

Bodø/Glimt

Flamengo

Paris Saint-Germain

 

Women’s Club of the Year

FC Barcelona

Bayern Munich

Club América

Manchester City

OL Lyonnes

 

Men’s Goalkeeper of the Year

Yassine Bounou — Al-Hilal/Morocco

Thibaut Courtois — Real Madrid/Belgium

Joan García — FC Barcelona/Spain

Gregor Kobel — Borussia Dortmund/Switzerland

Emiliano Martínez –Aston Villa, Chelsea/Argentina

Edouard Mendy — Al-Ahli/Senegal

David Raya –Arsenal/Spain

Matvey Safonov — Paris Saint-Germain/Russia

Unai Simón — Athletic Bilbao/Spain

Vozinha (Josimar Dias) — GD Chaves, Colo-Colo/Cape Verde

 

Women’s Goalkeeper of the Year

Ann-Katrin Berger — Gotham FC/England

Cata Coll — FC Barcelona Femeni/Spain

Hannah Hampton — Chelsea FC/England

Lorena — Kansas City Current/Brazil

Ayaka Yamashita — Manchester City Women

 

Men’s Young Talent of the Year

Ayyoub Bouaddi — Lille, Manchester City/Morocco

Kerim Alajbegović — RB Salzburg, Juventus/Bosnia and Herzegovina

Yan Diomandé — RB Leipzig, Real Madrid/Côte d’Ivoire

Pau Cubarsi — FC Barcelona/Spain

Lennart Karl — Bayern Munich/Germany

Éli Junior Kroupi — AFC Bournemouth/France

Lamine Yamal — FC Barcelona/Spain

Ibrahim Maza — Bayer Leverkusen/Algeria

Johan Manzambi — SC Freiburg, Aston Villa/Switzerland

Warren Zaïre-Emery — Paris Saint-Germain/France

 

Women’s Young Talent of the Year

Veerle Buurman — Chelsea/Netherlands

Vicky López — FC Barcelona Femeni/Spain

Felicia Schröder –BK Häcken, Real Madrid/Sweden

Clara Serrajordi — FC Barcelona Femeni/Spain

Lily Yohannes — OL Lyonnes/US Women’s National Soccer Team