London Palladium hosts Bola de Ouro 2026 ceremony as favourites clash
The Bola de Ouro will announce the international football stars of the 2025‑26 season on Monday, with the 70th edition taking place at the London Palladium Theatre in Inglaterra (England), honouring the inaugural winner Stanley Matthews. The ceremony starts at 17:00 Brasília time and will be streamed live on Tempo Real.
Selection period and scope
The award will consider performances from 3 August 2025 to 19 July 2026. Every international competition counts, including the World Cup staged across the United States, Mexico and Canada.
Voting system and jury
France Football, and UEFA ambassadors will shortlist thirty names. From these, a jury of one specialist journalist per country and the hundred highest‑ranked FIFA players will pick ten finalists. Voters allocate points – 15, 12, 10, 8, 7, 5, 4, 3, 2 and 1 – and the player with the most points wins.
Nominees across categories
Four Brazilian players feature in the men’s shortlist: Vini Jr., Marquinhos and Gabriel Magalhães compete for best player, while Lorena is listed for both best female player and best goalkeeper. Flamengo is the club contender for best club.
Male nominees include Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid/England), Pau Cubarsí (Barcelona/Spain), Marc Cucurella (Real Madrid/Spain), Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint‑Germain/France), Luis Díaz (Bayern Munich/Colombia), Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United/Portugal), Gabriel Magalhães (Arsenal/Brazil), Erling Haaland (Manchester City/Norway), Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint‑Germain/Morocco), Harry Kane (Bayern Munich/England), Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Paris Saint‑Germain/Georgia), Lamine Yamal (Barcelona/Spain), Sadio Mané (Al‑Nassr/Senegal), Marquinhos (Paris Saint‑Germain/Brazil), Lautaro Martínez (Inter Milan/Argentina), Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid/France), Nuno Mendes (Paris Saint‑Germain/Portugal), Lionel Messi (Inter Miami/Argentina), João Neves (Paris Saint‑Germain/Portugal), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich/France), Willian Pacho (Paris Saint‑Germain/Ecuador), Julián Quiñones (Al‑Qadsiah/Colombia), Declan Rice (Arsenal/England), Rodri (Barcelona/Spain), Fabián Ruiz (Paris Saint‑Germain/Spain), William Saliba (Arsenal/France), Ferran Torres (Paris Saint‑Germain/Spain), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich/France), Vitinha (Paris Saint‑Germain/Portugal).
Female nominees span the globe: Selma Bacha (Lyon/France), Barbra Banda (Orlando Pride/Zambia), Klara Bühl (Bayern Munich/Germany), Esmee Brugts (Barcelona/Netherlands), Mariona Caldentey (Arsenal/Spain), Scarlett Camberos (Club América/Mexico), Kerstin Casparij (Manchester City/Netherlands), Temwa Chawinga (Kansas City/Malawi), Cata Coll (Barcelona/Spain), Melchie Dumornay (Lyon/Haiti), Caroline Graham Hansen (Barcelona/Norway), Alex Greenwood (Manchester City/England), Patri Guijarro (Barcelona/Spain), Pernille Harder (Bayern Munich/Denmark), Rose Lavelle (Gotham FC/United States), Yui Hasegawa (Manchester City/Japan), Mapi León (Barcelona/Spain), Lorena (Kansas City/Brazil), Melvine Malard (Chelsea/France), Manaka Matsukubo (Chelsea/Japan), Vivianne Miedema (Manchester City/Netherlands), Ewa Pajor (Barcelona/Poland), Cláudia Pina (Barcelona/Spain), Alexia Putellas (London City/Spain), Wendie Renard (Lyon/France), Alessia Russo (Arsenal/England), Khadija Shaw (Manchester City/Jamaica), Momoko Tanikawa (Bayern Munich/Japan), Caroline Weir (Real Madrid/Scotland), Tessa Wullaert (Inter Milan/Belgium).
Goalkeeper nominees include Yassine Bounou (Al‑Hilal/Morocco), Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid/Belgium), Gregor Kobel (Borussia Dortmund/Switzerland), Joan García (Barcelona/Spain), Édouard Mendy (Al‑Ahli/Senegal), Emiliano Martínez (Aston Villa and Chelsea/Argentina), David Raya (Arsenal/Spain), Vozinha (GD Chaves and Colo‑Colo/Cape Verde) and Unai Simón (Athletic Bilbao/Spain).
Ousmane Dembélé will present the Bola de Ouro to the Paris Saint‑Germain crowd at the Parc des Princes, while the ceremony will be broadcast on the Futebol Internacional channel and followed live on Tempo Real for fans of Man and the wider football community.