From 30 nominees to the final vote: How the 2026 Ballon d'Or is decided

By Tahani Elghazaly
Published September 9, 2026

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The 2026 Ballon d'Or race entered its decisive phase after the nominees were announced on September 8, but the winner will not be chosen by a public vote or by trophies alone. Official regulations set out a process that begins with an assessment of an entire season and ends with points awarded by specialist football journalists around the world.

This year's award covers performances from August 3, 2025 to July 19, 2026, rather than the calendar year. The assessment period includes designated international competitions, including the World Cup and AFCON for the men's award, as well as specified international tournaments for the women's prize.

The regulations rank individual performance, decisiveness and impact as the primary criterion. Team performances and trophies won come second, followed by class and fair play. The criteria are formally listed in that order of importance.

Before voting begins, a 30-player shortlist is drawn up by the France Football editorial staff, members of the L'Équipe editorial team, at least one juror from the previous edition and UEFA ambassadors. Luis Figo and Fabio Capello take part in the men's selection process, while Nadine Kessler is involved in the women's award.

The final decision is then placed in the hands of an international jury of specialist football journalists. The men's award has one representative from each of the top 100 nations in the FIFA rankings, while the women's vote is limited to representatives from the top 50 nations, based on the rankings in effect when the nominees were announced.

Each juror ranks 10 players from the 30-name shortlist. The first choice receives 15 points, followed by 12, 10, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 point. The player with the highest combined total wins the Ballon d'Or.

If two players finish level on points, the tie is first decided by the number of first-place votes. If they remain tied, second-place selections are compared, followed by third-place votes and subsequent positions until a winner emerges.

The winners will be announced on Monday, October 26, at the London Palladium. It will be the first Ballon d'Or ceremony held in London and will mark the 70th anniversary of the award, which was created by France Football in 1956.