The Ballon d'Or award celebrates 70 years in 2026, and organisers France Football has taken the unusual idea to take the prestigious gala to London, instead of its usual location in Paris. It will take place on October 26, also in collaboration with UEFA, in a still undisclosed venue.
"By staging its 70th edition in the capital of England and the United Kingdom, the Ballon d'Or continues its expansion and further strengthens its status as a globally prestigious brand," said UEFA, but there is a more specific reason for this: paying tribute to England great Stanley Matthews, the first winner of the award seven decades ago.
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Matthews, nicknamed "the Magician", kept playing until he was 40, spending most of his career at Blackpool, winning the FA Cup in 1953, but also playing for Stoke City and Toronto City, while also playing international football for England between 1934 and 1965, playing in World Cups 1950 and 1954. He died in 2000 at the age of 85.