The 70th edition of the prestigious awards will take place at the London Palladium, marking the first time the ceremony has been staged in London. The venue choice pays tribute to Sir Stanley Matthews, the first recipient of the men’s Ballon d’Or in 1956.

The ceremony is organised by France Football in partnership with UEFA and will feature awards recognising outstanding performances in both men’s and women’s football, alongside honours for young talents, goalkeepers, coaches, clubs and goalscorers.

The main ceremony is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. UK time, which is 9 p.m. in Nigeria. Red-carpet coverage is expected to run from 6 p.m. to 7:40 p.m. in London, giving fans an opportunity to follow the arrival of nominees and other guests before the awards begin.

Fans can follow live coverage, updates and results through the official Ballon d’Or website at ballondor.com. The organisers have also published the event schedule and nominee lists online.

Among the leading names on the men’s shortlist are England striker Harry Kane, Barcelona forward Lamine Yamal, defending champion Ousmane Dembélé, Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé and Manchester City striker Erling Haaland. Lionel Messi, a record eight-time winner, is also among the nominees.

Kane and Yamal are among the players attracting attention ahead of the announcement, while Dembélé will be seeking to retain the honour he won in 2025. However, the final outcome will only be known when the winners are announced at the ceremony.

In the women’s category, Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas is among the nominees. She will face competition from several leading players, including Arsenal forward Alessia Russo, Barcelona striker Ewa Pajor and Manchester City forward Khadija Shaw.

Other awards scheduled for the event include the men’s and women’s Young Talent of the Year, Goalkeeper of the Year, Coach of the Year, Club of the Year and Striker of the Year categories. The ceremony will also present the Sócrates Award, which recognises football-related initiatives supporting social causes and solidarity.

The event marks seven decades since the Ballon d’Or was established in 1956. With some of the world’s leading footballers competing for the individual honours, the ceremony is expected to draw widespread attention from supporters eager to discover who will take home the awards.

Reporting by TalkNaijaMedia