2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony in London

The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony, marking the 70th anniversary of the awards, was held at the London Palladium Theatre on October 26. Organized by France Football in partnership with UEFA, the event was co-hosted by Thierry Henry and Kate Scott. This event represented the first time the ceremony was hosted in London.

During the proceedings, Harry Kane was awarded the Ballon d’Or, while Bukayo Saka received the Socrates Award for his humanitarian work. Following the ceremony, Thierry Henry released a video addressing social media backlash regarding his conduct. Henry clarified that an exchange with Lamine Yamal, following Yamal’s Kopa Trophy win, was intended as “light-hearted banter” rather than an attempt to embarrass the player. Henry expressed deep admiration for Yamal, describing him as a player he would “gladly pay to watch” and stating, “I am a big fan of Lamine Yamal. I was not picking on him.”

Henry also addressed criticism regarding his interaction with co-presenter Kate Scott after he corrected her pronunciation of the Socrates award. Henry defended the moment, stating Scott was an “accomplice” to a planned joke, a sentiment Scott later supported by commenting that no lack of respect was intended. Henry urged viewers to “stop inventing stories” regarding his professional conduct. Additionally, Henry commented on the winners, noting that while he supports Kylian Mbappé, he believes Harry Kane was a worthy recipient due to his work ethic.