The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony will be held on Monday, October 26, 2026. This year, the event will take place in London for the first time, with the specific venue yet to be announced report has revealed.

The latest nomination list for the annual award, organized by France Football magazine, was officially released on Tuesday, September 8, led by England captain Kane.

World Cup winner Yamal and Real Madrid star Mbappé are also strong contenders for this year’s Ballon d’Or, with Kvaratskhelia, Rodri, and Messi. also on the shortlist.

Paris Saint-Germain and France forward Dembélé won the current Ballon d’Or, having received the award from Rodri last year.

The Ballon d’Or is usually held at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris, but this year it moves to England to commemorate the 70th anniversary of Sir Stanley Matthews winning the inaugural Ballon d’Or in 1956.

Following an outstanding season at Bayern Munich, Kane is currently the top favorite for the 2026 Ballon d’Or. He scored 61 goals in 51 appearances across all competitions, helping Vincent Kompany’s team secure a domestic treble and earning him his second European Golden Boot.

At this summer’s World Cup, he also helped England reach the semifinals, with the Three Lions ultimately finishing third.

If Kane ultimately lifts the trophy, he will be the first English player to win the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001, and only the fourth Englishman in history to receive the award, after Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Stanley Matthews, and Kevin Keegan. Keegan won the award twice consecutively in 1978 and 1979 while playing for Hamburg.

The rankings, released on Tuesday, show that the 10-time African champions have fallen from 36th position globally but remain Africa’s highest-ranked women’s national team.

South Africa, Morocco, Ghana and Zambia occupy the second to fifth positions in Africa, respectively.

The Falcons’ decline follows a series of disappointing results, including their quarter-final exit at the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, where they lost to Malawi and Cameroon.

Nigeria also suffered a two-one defeat to South Africa in the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup play-offs.

However, the team recorded two victories over Comoros in the qualifiers for the 2028 Olympic Games.

Globally, Spain remain top of the rankings, ahead of the United States, Germany, England and Japan.

The next FIFA Women’s World Rankings are scheduled for release on December 7, 2026.

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has reportedly thrown his future at Old Trafford into doubt by rejecting the club’s latest contract renewal offer.

According to a new report, the 32-year-old playmaker has halted extension discussions with the Manchester United hierarchy.

According to report, Galatasaray are actively monitoring the contract standoff and are considering launching an ambitious January transfer bid for the Portuguese international.

Fernandes last committed his future to Manchester United in August 2024, signing a massive deal designed to keep him in Manchester until the summer of 2027.

While his current contract provides the club with short-term security, the reported refusal to engage in new extension talks represents a massive red flag for the INEOS-led sporting department.

The timing of the rejection is particularly damaging, as Fernandes remains the undeniable creative engine of the squad.

He finished the 2025/26 campaign dominating the domestic statistics, officially recording the most assists in a single Premier League season.

However, his individual brilliance has failed to mask the deep-rooted systemic issues currently plaguing the club under manager Michael Carrick.
The report specifically notes that Fernandes’ reluctance to sign a new deal stems directly from his growing frustration with United’s sporting direction and lack of competitive squad depth.

This sentiment appears to be rapidly spreading throughout the Old Trafford dressing room.

The contract rejection report arrives just days after Manchester United defender Lisandro Martínez delivered an explosive post-match interview, brutally tearing into the club’s leadership structure.

Following a bitterly disappointing UEFA Champions League defeat to Atletico Madrid on October 13, the Argentine centre-back publicly stated that the players “expect more from the top,” explicitly targeting technical director Jason Wilcox.

With key players like Martínez publicly airing their grievances and the club captain now reportedly stalling on contract talks, the pressure on the Manchester United boardroom is reaching breaking point.

Galatasaray circle the situation
Sensing the mounting internal chaos at Old Trafford, Galatasaray are reportedly ready to capitalise on the uncertainty.

Galatasaray executive Abdullah Kavukcu is personally driving the operation to lure Fernandes to the Turkish Süper Lig, according to the report.

The Istanbul-based giants previously tested the waters during the summer transfer window but are now reportedly viewing the January window as a realistic opportunity to secure one of their biggest signings in recent history.