W orld football will turn its attention to London this Monday, October 26, 2026, as the 70th Ballon d'Or ceremony holds at the iconic London Palladium Theatre. The gala, scheduled to start at 8 p.m. GMT, which is 9 p.m. in Nigeria, will be the first time the award is staged outside France since it was created in 1956. Organisers said London was chosen as a tribute to England's Stanley Matthews, who won the first Ballon d'Or 70 years ago. The move from Paris gives this year's ceremony a new feel and a different energy. The show will be hosted by football legend Thierry Henry and popular broadcaster Kate Scott. Both hosts work together at CBS Sports and are expected to welcome football's biggest names for a night of celebration. The rules for picking winners have also changed from the old calendar-year format. This year, performances were judged based on the European club season and the summer international tournaments. For the men's category, the period under rev...