Al Jazeera Sport breaks down the award-voting criteria, top candidates and history ahead of the ceremony in London. Unlike in previous editions, there are multiple favourites to win the Ballon d'Or this year, and it will be interesting to see who manages to lift the trophy. The 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony will take place at 20:00 GMT on Monday, 26 October, at London's Palladium Theatre.