The battle for the throne begins on the red carpet.. Landing of the giants at Palladium Theatre to attend the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony

Kylian Mbappe and Harry Kane have arrived in London for the Ballon d'Or 2026 ceremony on Monday 26 October as football's biggest names gather in the British capital ahead of the red carpet celebrations.

The London Palladium is hosting the prestigious awards for the first time, with players, coaches and football officials gathering for the 70th edition of the Ballon d'Or.

The red carpet programme runs from 18:00 to 19:40 local time ahead of the main ceremony at 20:00 when the men's and women's awards will take centre stage.

Several prominent players have already been confirmed in London, including representatives of Real Madrid and Bayern Munich while other nominees continue their preparations for the evening.

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Kylian Mbappe arrives in London with Real Madrid delegation

Real Madrid forward Kylian Mbappé was among the high profile arrivals confirmed on Monday.

The France international travelled to the British capital accompanied by members of his family and a Real Madrid delegation.

Spanish television programme El Chiringuito shared footage documenting the striker's arrival ahead of the awards ceremony.

Harry Kane leads Bayern Munich stars to London

Bayern Munich also arrived in London with a delegation featuring several major names.

England captain Harry Kane travelled alongside Michael Olise, Luis Diaz, Dayot Upamecano and young midfielder Lennart Karl.

Bayern women's star Klara Buhl was also present, alongside club president Herbert Hainer and chief executive Jan Christian Dreesen.

Their arrival was documented by Sky Sport Germany journalist Kerry Hau, who shared footage of the travelling party.

Kane's presence carries additional significance because the ceremony is being staged in his home country.

The Bayern striker is among the leading contenders after an outstanding goalscoring campaign.

African attention turns to Hakimi and Mane's rankings

African football has already received important news ahead of the main ceremony.

Morocco international Achraf Hakimi finished 13th in the men's Ballon d'Or rankings, dropping seven places from his sixth place finish in 2025.

As Foot Africa reported following the official announcement, the Paris Saint Germain defender remains among the world's 15 highest ranked players.

Senegal forward Sadio Mane, meanwhile, finished joint 29th alongside Arsenal defender William Saliba.

Their rankings have already been announced as France Football continues revealing the results.

How to follow the 2026 Ballon d'Or red carpet live

Football supporters can follow the red carpet appearances, interviews and awards through the official Ballon d'Or coverage.

The ceremony begins at 20:00 London time, with the main individual awards scheduled to be presented later in the evening.

As detailed in Foot Africa's live viewing guide, DAZN is providing free live streaming in eligible territories while the official Ballon d'Or website offers rankings and updates.

Khaled Hegazy |

Editorar, en

Journaliste sportif spécialisé dans la couverture du football et la création de contenu numérique, alliant expérience éditoriale et expertise des médias sociaux.

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