Ballon d'Or 2026.. How is the winner voted for and what happens in the event of a tie?

We have reached that time of year when the countdown to the announcement of the best player in world football begins; The 2026 Ballon d'Or awards ceremony will be held in just a few hours. With the ceremony being held this year in London instead of Paris, its traditional headquarters, the race to win the Ballon d'Or seems more competitive than ever.

The ceremony will be held at the London Palladium on Monday, October 26, and it is the first time that these awards ceremonies have been held in London. This step carries historical significance. The British capital was chosen in honor of the former England national team player, Sir Stanley Matthews, who was the first to win the Ballon d'Or in 1956.

Unlike previous seasons, in which it may have seemed clear who would win the award, the competition in 2026 appears to be very close. Among the top candidates for the award in the men's category are: Harry Kane, England and Bayern Munich striker; Lamin Yamal, Spain and FC Barcelona winger; Kylian Mbappé, France and Real Madrid striker.

The Women's Ballon d'Or also raises an interesting debate, with names such as Alexia Potias, Eva Bajor and Melchy Dumornay competing for this prestigious award. Here we explain to you the most important details about the mechanism of the Golden Ball Award.

The Ballon d'Or is awarded to the best male and female player in the world, and is considered the highest individual award that can be won in football. France Football has been organizing the award since 1956 in the men's category, while the women's Ballon d'Or was first launched in 2018.

The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony will be the 70th edition of these awards (note that no ceremonies were held in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic). The awards have been jointly organized by France Football and the European Football Association (UEFA) since 2024.

France Football retains ownership of the Ballon d'Or trademark and oversees the voting system, while UEFA contributes its expertise in the game, manages global commercial rights, and organizes the annual ceremony. What are the voting criteria for the Ballon d'Or?

When it comes to Ballon d'Or voting, there are three main criteria against which players are judged: These criteria are applied in order of importance. Individual performances and the player's decisive and impressive personality come first, followed by collective achievements with the team, then the level of performance and sportsmanship.

Voters take into account the players' performance, whether with their clubs or with their national teams. For what period are players evaluated?

As has been the case since 2022, the Ballon d'Or is now decided based on the previous European season, rather than the calendar year. Therefore, for the 2026 Ballon d'Or, players' performances will be evaluated between 3 August 2025 and 19 July 2026, with one exception relating to the Women's Africa Cup of Nations, which concluded on 16 August, which will count towards the current season.

The regulations specify that the reference period covers the entire 2025/26 season and includes international competitions. For men, this includes the 2026 World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations, while the reference period for women includes the Asian Cup and the final stage of the Nations League.

The Women's Africa Cup of Nations, which concluded on August 16, falls within the next season. A committee, or “jury,” according to the official name, will determine who will be crowned the best player and best player in the world.

For the men's category, the number of voters is 100 people, all of whom are journalists selected from the top 100 countries in the International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) classification, with each country represented by one journalist. For women, the same pattern applies, but the number will be 50.

Monday, September 28 was the deadline for voting. How does the Ballon d'Or points system work?

Each jury member selects his or her 10 best players, in descending order, from a list of 30 players. Based on their votes, each player will receive the following points: First place: 15 points Second place: 12 points Third place: 10 points Fourth place: 8 points Fifth place: 7 points Sixth place: 5 points Seventh place: 4 points Eighth place: 3 points Ninth place: 2 points Tenth place: 1 point.

After that, the points are tallied, and the player with the most points wins the Golden Ball award. Is the same mechanism used for men's awards and women's awards?

The Ballon d'Or award for men and women is subject to a single voting process, with a difference in the number of jury members. 100 journalists participate in voting for the men’s award, while 50 journalists participate in voting for the women’s award. For the men's Ballon d'Or, the 100 journalists are selected from countries that rank in the top 100 in the FIFA rankings for men's national teams.

Likewise, the 50 journalists voting for the Women's Award come from countries that rank in the top 50 in FIFA's rankings of women's national teams. According to the regulations of France Football magazine for the year 2026, the two awards are decided by international sports journalists, who rank their favorite candidates and allocate points accordingly.

What happens if the players have equal points? In the event of a tie - which is unlikely - the players will be separated based on the number of votes each of them received in first place.

If there is still a tie, the number of votes that came in second place is judged, and so on. The regulations also stipulate that any dispute arising from the voting process will ultimately be resolved by the editor-in-chief of France Football, in his capacity as the organizing body.

How are the winners of other Ballon d'Or awards determined? The selection process varies depending on the other awards presented at the Ballon d'Or; Each award highlights a different aspect of football.

While the winners of some awards are determined by specialized voting committees, the winners of other awards are chosen based on individual statistics or contributions outside the green rectangle. The Young Talent of the Year Awards, formerly known as the Copa Trophy, honor outstanding young players.

Former Ballon d'Or winners participate in voting for the award allocated to men, while the award allocated to women is decided by an independent committee that includes former winners of the Women's Ballon d'Or, along with other representatives of women's football. Candidates are evaluated based on their performance, achievements and behaviour.

The Yashin Awards are given to the best male and female goalkeepers, and the winners are determined by the judging committees responsible for the Ballon d'Or awards. The same committees also select the winners of the “Coach of the Year” and “Club of the Year” awards, in honor of excellence in management and team performance during the relevant period.

The Gerd Müller Awards adopt a statistical approach; It is awarded to goal scorers during a specified evaluation period, instead of relying on the traditional voting system. At the same time, the Socrates Award highlights football players who have made valuable contributions to humanitarian causes and social initiatives, with an organized committee selecting the winner.