Watch Live: Ballon d'Or 2026 Live Updates as World's Greatest Stars Take Center Stage

The Ballon d'Or 2026 ceremony takes place on Monday 26 October at London's Palladium Theatre, with football fans worldwide able to watch the awards live and free.

The 70th edition of football's prestigious individual awards will begin at 20:00 GMT, bringing together leading players, coaches and football personalities to discover the winners of the men's and women's Ballon d'Or trophies.

For the first time in the award's history, the ceremony will be held in London rather than Paris, with former France and Arsenal striker Thierry Henry and sports presenter Kate Scott hosting the event.

Fans across Africa, Europe and the rest of the world will have several ways to follow the evening, including free streaming, television coverage and real-time results through the official Ballon d'Or website.

Read Also: Is Hakimi wronged because of his teammates?.. British journalist Ben Jacobs analyzes the Ballon d'Or race for "Foot Africa"

How to watch the Ballon d'Or 2026 live for free?

The main global broadcasting platform for the Ballon d'Or 2026 ceremony is DAZN.

According to the platform's official announcement, the event will be streamed live and free in approximately 200 markets worldwide.

Viewers can access the ceremony through the DAZN website or its official application on supported smartphones, tablets and smart TVs.

To watch the ceremony, fans should create a free DAZN account or sign in with their existing credentials before selecting the Ballon d'Or live broadcast.

Additionally, fans can watch the live broadcast of the ceremony through beIN SPORTS networks, as well as on L'Équipe's official YouTube channel which will both provide free access to the event.

You can also watch the live stream on these channels:

What time does the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony start in Africa?

The official ceremony begins at 20:00 GMT on Monday 26 October.

The starting times for major African countries are:

• Egypt: 11:00 p.m.
• Morocco: 9:00 p.m.
• Algeria and Tunisia: 9:00 p.m.
• Senegal and Ghana: 8:00 p.m.
• Nigeria: 9:00 p.m.
• Ivory Coast: 8:00 p.m.
• South Africa: 10:00 p.m.
• Kenya: 11:00 p.m.

Fans hoping to follow the entire evening should tune in earlier.

The official Ballon d'Or organisers have confirmed that the rankings between 30th and 11th place will begin appearing around 16:00 GMT.

The red carpet arrivals are scheduled to start at 18:00 GMT, approximately two hours before the main awards ceremony.

As Foot Africa explained in its guide to the 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony, the two main Ballon d'Or winners are expected to be revealed towards the end of the event.

Which African players are nominated for the Ballon d'Or 2026?

African football will be represented across several award categories.

Morocco defender Achraf Hakimi and Senegal forward Sadio Mane are among the 30 nominees for the men's Ballon d'Or.

Hakimi enjoyed another successful campaign with Paris Saint Germain while Mane earned a nomination following his performances with Al-Nassr.

As detailed in Foot Africa's coverage of the 30 Ballon d'Or nominees, they will compete against players including Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane, Lionel Messi and defending champion Ousmane Dembele.

African players are also represented in the other categories.

Morocco's Ayyoub Bouaddi, Algeria's Ibrahim Maza and Ivory Coast's Yan Diomande are among the candidates for the men's Kopa Trophy, awarded to the best young player.

In the Yashin Trophy category for goalkeepers, Morocco's Yassine Bounou, Senegal's Edouard Mendy and Cape Verde's Vozinha have been nominated.

Meanwhile, Zambia's Barbra Banda and Malawi's Temwa Chawinga feature among the women's Ballon d'Or candidates.

Their presence provides an additional reason for African football fans to follow the ceremony closely.

When will the Ballon d'Or 2026 winner be announced?

The men's Ballon d'Or winner is expected to be announced towards the conclusion of the official ceremony which is scheduled to run until approximately 22:00 GMT.

The women's Ballon d'Or presentation is also expected during the final stages.

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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