2026 Ballon d’Or: who votes and why fans do not decide

Fans do not vote for the 2026 Ballon d’Or. Likes, digital campaigns and polls may reflect popularity, but they are not part of the official count. The men’s and women’s winners are chosen by specialist journalists who rank ten players and award points. The ceremony will be held in London on October 26, although the consulted sources do not provide a start time.

Who is entitled to vote

France Football magazine organizes the Ballon d’Or, while the ceremony is staged in collaboration with UEFA. Under the official 2026 regulations, the international jury has one specialist journalist representing each eligible country.

The pool is not the same for the two main awards. The men’s vote includes representatives from the top 100 countries in the FIFA World Ranking. The women’s vote is limited to the top 50. Eligibility is based on the rankings in force on September 8, 2026, when the nominee lists were published.

That means a fan’s nationality, the size of a club’s following or its digital reach cannot add votes. The published rules also make no provision for a parallel public ballot capable of changing the official standings.

How the shortlist and ballot are assembled

Each men’s and women’s Ballon d’Or starts with a 30-player shortlist. It is compiled by members of the France Football and L’Équipe editorial teams, at least one juror from the previous edition and UEFA ambassadors. Luis Figo and Fabio Capello contribute to the men’s selection; Nadine Kessler contributes to the women’s.

Each juror then chooses ten players from the shortlist and ranks them in order of merit. Naming one favorite is not enough: every player’s position determines the points they receive. The explanation accompanying the nominees announcement confirms that voting takes place after the shortlists have been released.

How many points each place earns

The first-ranked player receives 15 points. The remaining positions are worth 12, 10, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point, respectively. The award goes to the player with the highest aggregate total across all eligible jurors.

The scale helps explain the race. Leading a ballot creates a larger advantage than merely appearing in its top ten, while the final sum can also reward consistently high placement. An online poll has a different sample, different rules and often lets people outside the jury participate. Consequently, even a landslide in that type of poll is not worth 15 points—or any official points at all.

Which performances are assessed

The reference period runs from August 3, 2025, through July 19, 2026, covering the full season. The regulations include international competitions held within that window: the men’s World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations, and the women’s Asian Cup and Nations League final phase. The Women’s Africa Cup of Nations, which ended on August 16, belongs to the current season and does not count toward this edition.

Journalists must apply three criteria in order: individual performances of a decisive and impressive nature; collective performances and titles won; and class and fair play. Popularity is therefore not a criterion. Looking only at goals, trophies or a single match would also be incomplete, because the rules establish a broader hierarchy for assessing the season.

How ties are broken

If two players finish level on total points, the player with more first-place selections prevails. If they remain tied, second-place selections are compared, then third-place selections, continuing down the ballot. The separate official explanation of ties also says that any dispute arising from the vote is decided by the France Football editor-in-chief in the organizer’s capacity.

This process marks another significant difference from open polls. Social-media percentages cannot reproduce the official count: doing so would require every juror’s complete ranking, followed by application of the official points and tiebreakers.

What is confirmed about the ceremony

UEFA confirms that the 70th edition will take place on Monday, October 26, 2026, at the London Palladium Theatre in London—the first edition hosted in the city. The choice honors Stanley Matthews, the inaugural winner of the prize created by France Football in 1956.

In addition to the two Ballons d’Or, the announced program includes categories for young players, goalkeepers, coaches, clubs and leading scorers, as well as the Sócrates Award. Practical details are subject to change, so check the official Ballon d’Or or UEFA website for updates.

Until the ceremony, campaigns and polls can help track the public conversation, but they cannot mathematically predict the result. The safest reading separates preference from procedure: fans debate, accredited jurors rank and the points determine the winner.