Organisers of the Ballon d’Or have outlined the three criteria that will decide the winners of the 2026 edition.
The 70th ceremony is scheduled for Monday, October 26, 2026, at the London Palladium Theatre in London, the first time the award will be staged in the UK in honour of Stanley Matthews, the first winner in 1956.
According to France Football, which organises the award with UEFA, journalists will vote based on three key factors in order of importance.
The first and most important criterion is individual performance and decisive character. This covers a player’s influence in matches, consistency throughout the reference period from August 3, 2025 to July 19, 2026, and ability to make the difference in key moments.
The second factor is collective performance and trophies won with club and country. Organisers clarified that no title, including the Champions League or World Cup, automatically guarantees the award. It must be considered alongside individual impact.
The third criterion is class and fair play, which looks at a player’s conduct on and off the pitch, sportsmanship and respect.
Voting is done by 100 journalists from the top 100 FIFA-ranked nations for the men’s award and 50 journalists from the top 50 nations for the women’s award.
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