2026 Ballon d'Or: 70th edition, Zinédine Zidane says no

The France head coach will skip the ceremony

Ballon d'Or Today at 11:06

Add Foot Africa on Google

2026 Ballon d'Or: 70th edition, Zinédine Zidane says no

The list of absentees for the 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony is growing. France head coach Zinédine Zidane will also be absent tonight.

The 2026 Ballon d’Or will be awarded this Monday evening during an exceptional ceremony organized in London. Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane, Ousmane Dembélé and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia are among the contenders for the final prize. They are aiming to succeed Ousmane Dembélé.

Some of the biggest secrets are now in here! 👀 Get yours > https://t.co/GhL80Ad7GS #ballondor https://t.co/f2SsDjhFAC
— Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) October 26, 2026

Zizou's absence confirmed

According to information from RMC Sport, France head coach Zinédine Zidane will not be in London to attend the event this Monday evening. The French Football Federation will nevertheless be represented by its president, Philippe Diallo, who will travel to the event for this major evening in world football.

70th Ballon d’Or Ceremony is today! 📍 👀 Where will you be watching from? Watch it live on @DAZNFootball, from 6PM to 10PM (local time). #ballondor https://t.co/le0auYaD2Q
— Ballon d'Or (@ballondor) October 26, 2026

The French coach will therefore miss this particularly anticipated edition, with five French players nominated.

This article follows our newsroom’s editorial standards. To learn more about how we create and fact-check our content, see our Editorial Policy .

Joshua SOSSOU

Editorfr, en, ar

As a sports fan, and particularly a football fan, I've been putting my writing talent to good use for a number of years now to promote African talent and the continent's football in general. On Foot Africa, enjoy reading each of my lines.