TrendRundown › Explained · updated Oct 26, 4:03 PM EDT

What is the Ballon d'Or?

The Ballon d'Or is a yearly award for the best player in the world, chosen by the French magazine France Football. This year a women's edition is being presented in London, and 30 finalists have been named. Searchers want the 2026 date, time, and where to watch.

Why it's in the news

The 2026 Women's Ballon d'Or ceremony is being held in London, and 30 finalists have been named. Alexia Putellas is drawing the most attention, with a BBC headline asking whether anyone can stop her from winning, and the nominee list and voting process are drawing coverage.

Alexia Putellas — Women's Ballon d'Or 2026 ceremony in London; Putellas tipped to win Oct 26

Background

The Ballon d'Or is an annual award given to the player judged the best in the world. France Football, a French sports magazine, selects the winner. The award is best known in the men's game, but the magazine also runs a separate women's prize, the Women's Ballon d'Or.

This year's Women's Ballon d'Or ceremony is taking place in London. A list of 30 finalists has been published. Among them is Scarlett Camberos, a forward for América, who is the first Mexican player nominated for the award. Eleven of the 30 nominees play in the English women's league, the BWSL.

Alexia Putellas is one of the names drawing the most attention before the ceremony. A British broadcaster has asked whether anyone can stop her from winning. Other coverage has focused on the nominee list and on how the voting works, since former voters have described what they look for when they cast their ballots.

I did not find the ceremony start time, the broadcast details, or the full list of rankings in the sources provided, so those are not given here.

Sources

Written with AI assistance from reporting by the outlets above and checked against them. Updated Oct 26, 4:03 PM EDT.