The 70th Ballon d'Or Sets Its Sights on London
The Ballon d'Or ceremony, the sport’s most coveted individual award, will be held in London on October 26, marking the first time the event has left Paris in its seven‑decade history. The capital of England will host the celebration in the hometown of Harry Kane, the nation’s all‑time leading scorer, and will coincide with Arsenal’s recent Premier League triumph.
Kane’s move to Bayern Munich has turned into a goal‑machine season, with the English forward netting 61 times in 51 appearances. His tally includes 14 strikes in the Champions League and five goals for England in a World Cup qualifying campaign, underscoring his status as one of the game’s most prolific attackers.
Dembélé, Bonmatí and the Road Ahead
Last year’s men’s Ballon d'Or went to Ousmane Dembélé, who helped Paris Saint‑Germain clinch the Champions League before adding 19 goals in 39 games for the French side this season, seven of them in the competition’s latter stages.
Aitana Bonmatí, a three‑time women’s Ballon d'Or winner, missed the bulk of the campaign through injury but returned in time to contribute to Barcelona’s Champions League victory over Olympique Lyonnais, a performance that has kept her in the conversation for this year’s award.
Voters for the Ballon d'Or are drawn from a global panel of journalists who each submit a shortlist of ten candidates from a pre‑selected pool of thirty, ensuring a worldwide perspective on the sport’s elite.