Ballon d’Or 2026: How and when to watch the ceremony

Football fans in Morocco are preparing for the 70th edition of the Ballon d’Or ceremony, scheduled to take place in London at 8pm Moroccan time.

Organised by France Football in partnership with UEFA, the prestigious event will bring together some of the biggest names in football, with Moroccan stars Achraf Hakimi and Yassine Bounou among those attracting attention.

This year’s ceremony will take place outside Paris for the first time, with several Moroccan nominees featuring across the award categories.

Hakimi Leads Moroccan Interest

Achraf Hakimi is among the 30 nominees for the men’s Ballon d’Or following his performances for Paris Saint-Germain.

The Moroccan international faces competition from several leading players, including Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal, Harry Kane, Erling Haaland and Vinicius Junior.

Yamal, whose father is Moroccan and mother is Equatorial Guinean, has continued to attract attention through his performances for Barcelona. However, he has also faced criticism following his display in Sunday’s La Liga El Clásico against Real Madrid.

PSG have a strong presence among the nominees, with Hakimi joined by Ousmane Dembele, Vitinha, Joao Neves, Fabian Ruiz, Nuno Mendes and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

Dembele won the 2025 Ballon d’Or and will be among the players looking to secure another major individual honour.

Eight-time winner Lionel Messi is also among the names highlighted in the race. The Argentine remains the most successful player in the award’s history.

Other nominees include Jude Bellingham, Pau Cubarsi, Marc Cucurella, Luis Diaz, Bruno Fernandes, Gabriel, Sadio Mane, Marquinhos, Michael Olise, Willian Pacho, Julian Quinones, Declan Rice, Rodri, William Saliba, Ferran Torres and Dayot Upamecano.

Bounou Among Goalkeeper Award Contenders

Morocco will also have representation through Yassine Bounou, the Al Hilal goalkeeper who has played a prominent role for the national team in major competitions, including the World Cup.

Bounou has also earned recognition in Saudi Arabia through his performances for Al Hilal, particularly his saves.

The nominees for the best goalkeeper award include Thibaut Courtois, Joan Garcia, Gregor Kobel, Emiliano Martinez, Edouard Mendy, David Raya, Matvey Safonov and Unai Simon.

How to Watch the Ballon d’Or in Morocco

Football fans looking to follow the ceremony can watch through DAZN, while beIN Sports News and the official Ballon d’Or website are also listed as viewing options.

The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 8pm Moroccan time.

International journalists will cast their votes based on players’ performances during the season. The voting panel consists of one representative from each of the top 100 nations in the FIFA men’s world rankings and the top 50 nations in the women’s rankings.