Ballon d’Or 2026: voting officially closed

Voting for the 2026 Ballon d’Or is officially over. Since midnight, the journalists tasked with selecting the winner can no longer change their ballots. The suspense is now total ahead of the announcement of the winner, scheduled for October 26 in London.

The race is entering its final phase. With the votes locked, the result can no longer be influenced by performances after the voting deadline. The jury members had to rank the 30 players shortlisted for the men’s Ballon d’Or.

Lamine Yamal, Kane and Mbappé among the names mentioned

Several players are at the center of discussions surrounding the 2026 edition. Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappé are notably among the leading names regularly mentioned in debates surrounding the award.

However, their situations are different, and the final ranking depends exclusively on the votes recorded by the jury members. No definitive hierarchy can therefore be established before the official publication of the results.

The closure of the voting also puts an end to speculation linked to the latest performances that could have been taken into account. Voters have now made their choices, and the result will be kept until the ceremony.

See you on October 26 in London

The name of the successor to the winner of the previous edition will be revealed during the Ballon d’Or ceremony, scheduled for October 26, 2026, in London.

Until then, the identity of the winner officially remains unknown. Any information or trends that may circulate before the ceremony will not constitute an official announcement of the result.

The voting is now closed, and the next Ballon d’Or has already been determined by the ballots submitted. We will have to wait until October 26 to learn the verdict made public.

Nouya M'toama

Editorfr, en

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