Ballon d’Or 2026: jurors have until September 28 to vote

Voting for the 2026 Ballon d’Or ends on September 28, ten days before the announced deadline. Among the 30 players in contention is Sadio Mané, who can still count on the final weeks of the voting campaign to make his case.

The regulations published by France Football specify that 100 specialist journalists, representing an equal number of countries, take part in the vote in the men’s category. Each must select ten players from the 30 nominees and rank them in order of preference. The first receives 15 points, the second 12, followed by 10, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 2 and 1 point for the tenth.

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Three criteria to separate the 30 nominees

The jurors must base their votes on three criteria set out in the regulations. The first concerns individual performance and the player’s decisive impact. The second relates to team results and achievements with the club and national team. The third takes fair play into account.

The period under review covers the entire 2025-2026 season, from August 3, 2025, to July 19, 2026. International competitions are also included, notably the 2026 World Cup and the Africa Cup of Nations.

See you on October 26 in London

Once voting closes, the count will determine the successor to Ousmane Dembélé, the 2025 Ballon d’Or winner. In the event of a tie, the regulations provide for the players to be separated based on the number of first-place votes received, followed by second-place votes and so on.

The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony is scheduled for October 26 in London. This edition will be the 70th in the trophy’s history.

Nouya M'toama

Editorfr, en

Versatile journalist specializing in sports and political news, with extensive experience across radio, print and digital media platforms.