Kate Scott and Thierry Henry Host 2026 Ballon d'Or

Football's leading individual awards will be presented in London on October 26, 2026, when broadcaster Kate Scott and former France international Thierry Henry host the Ballon d'Or ceremony. The event will recognize the outstanding men's and women's players from the 2025-26 season, with Harry Kane, Michael Olise and Lamine Yamal among the leading candidates for the men's prize.

According to DAZN's October 20 announcement, the ceremony will be broadcast live and free-to-air on its platform, subject to territorial restrictions. Both the men's and women's awards feature 30 nominees, reflecting performances across club competitions and international football.

The men's shortlist includes Kane and Olise of Bayern Munich, Barcelona's Yamal, Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid, Lionel Messi of Inter Miami and Ousmane Dembele of Paris Saint-Germain. Other nominees include Jude Bellingham, Erling Haaland, Bruno Fernandes, Declan Rice and Rodri.

Scott, known for presenting UEFA Champions League coverage on CBS Sports, will lead the event alongside Henry, whose playing career included spells at Arsenal and Barcelona. Henry received nine Ballon d'Or nominations and finished runner-up in 2003. He also won the World Cup with France in 1998 and remains Arsenal's record goalscorer.

Henry said his connection to the host city made the appointment particularly meaningful.

"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." Thierry Henry said.

Harry Kane has emerged as a prominent contender after an exceptional scoring campaign for Bayern Munich and England. The New York Times' October 20 assessment ranked the striker first among its top 10 candidates, ahead of teammate Michael Olise and Barcelona forward Yamal.

According to that analysis, Kane recorded 56 goals and eight assists across the Bundesliga, Champions League and World Cup in 2025-26. Including other competitions and additional England appearances, his overall tally reached 73 goals in 65 matches. He also scored six times in five Champions League knockout matches and recorded a hat trick in the DFB-Pokal final.

Olise ranked second in the same assessment after contributing 20 goals and 32 assists across league, Champions League and World Cup matches. His seven World Cup assists set a record for a single edition of the tournament, according to the report.

Yamal placed third after scoring 22 goals and providing 15 assists in 38 appearances across La Liga and the Champions League during 2025-26. However, injuries affected his availability and limited his impact at the World Cup. His strong start to the 2026-27 campaign has strengthened his position in the discussion.

Mbappe ranked fourth after scoring 40 goals in 42 appearances for Real Madrid across La Liga and the Champions League. He also scored 10 times at the World Cup, taking his career total in the tournament to 22 goals, according to the New York Times assessment.

Bayern Munich goalkeeper Jonas Urbig has publicly backed Kane for the award, praising the striker's contribution beyond scoring. Urbig highlighted Kane's defensive work, physical commitment, passing and involvement throughout the pitch.

"He does both things on both ends of the pitch – he scores goals non-stop, he defends, goes into duels, [and] distributes the ball. He's everywhere on the pitch; he runs a lot. He's an incredible footballer, [and] an incredible person.

We're so happy to have him in our team." Jonas Urbig said.

Fabian Ruiz also features among the 30 men's nominees after collecting major honors with Paris Saint-Germain and Spain during the 2025-26 season. OneFootball's editorial ranking placed the midfielder ninth with 11 points, level with Declan Rice, who occupied 10th place under its tie-breaking method.

OneFootball reported that Ruiz recorded three goals and six assists across competitions. His trophy collection included Ligue 1, the Trophée des Champions, the UEFA Super Cup, the Intercontinental Cup, the Champions League and the World Cup. A knee injury during the season limited his participation in several major European matches.

The women's shortlist includes Barcelona's Alexia Putellas, Ewa Pajor and Caroline Graham Hansen, Arsenal's Alessia Russo and Mariona Caldentey, and Manchester City's Khadija Shaw and Yui Hasegawa. Other nominees include Barbra Banda, Temwa Chawinga, Wendie Renard and Vivianne Miedema.

The men's award is decided by 100 journalists who assess candidates on individual performances, decisive contributions, team achievements, trophies and conduct on and off the pitch. The voting process remains subjective, and strong performances early in the following season can influence perceptions of candidates whose eligibility period covers the previous campaign.

The winners of the 2026 men's and women's Ballon d'Or awards will be announced at the London ceremony on October 26.