Ballon d’Or don finally confirm di date wey dem go release di nominee list for all di categories for 2026, and di race for di most prestigious individual honour for football don officially begin.
According to di official Ballon d'Or website, all di shortlists go publish on 8 September. Dis one go cover twelve different categories, with di men’s and women’s Ballon d’Or awards at di top of di list. Also dey inside na di prizes for best young talents, best goalkeepers, best coaches, and best strikers, plus di awards for best men’s and women’s club.
Di number of nominees for each category don also made public. For men’s Ballon d’Or, dem go get 30 players. Women’s Ballon d’Or, na 30 players too. For best young talent for men, dem go get 10 players; for women, na 5. Best goalkeeper for men go get 10 goalkeepers; for women, na 5. Best coach for men na 5 coaches; for women na 5 coaches. Best striker for men na 10 strikers; for women na 5. And for best club, men’s side go get 5 clubs, women’s side go get 5 clubs.
London go host di 2026 ceremony on 26 October. Na special edition because e go mark di 70th anniversary of when di award first start. Di move go take di ceremony comot from Théâtre du Châtelet for Paris, where e don dey since 2019, go inside di English capital. Na im make e dey special, because na tribute to di first player wey ever win Ballon d’Or, di English legend Sir Stanley Matthews.
For who go win di award, na international panel of specialist journalists go determine di winner. Each voter go select di best 10 players from di shortlist, and dem go judge di players based on individual performance, collective achievements and titles, plus sportsmanship.
For di 2025 edition, France‘s Ousmane Dembélé wey dey play for Paris Saint-Germain take di Ballon d’Or. Di star shine pass all im rivals after an exceptional season with di French club.
