Ballon d'Or 2026 LIVE — Lamine Yamal wins Kopa Trophy; Messi not in attendance

Last year, Ousmane Dembélé and Aitana Bonmatí won the men’s and women’s best player awards, respectively, at the Théâtre du Châtelet in the French capital - the host venue of the Ballon d’Or since 2019.But this year, the Awards night will take place at the London Palladium in England. Find out why below:Why is Ballon d’Or Awards 2026 happening in London instead of Paris?The last edition of the Ballon d’Or Awards had taken place at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris - the host venue of the award ceremony since 2019.