France Football, UEFA Confirm Thierry Henry and Kate Scott As 2026 Ballon d’Or Hosts
- France Football and UEFA confirmed the hosts for the 70th edition of the Ballon d'Or, set for October 26 in London
- Henry and Scott, both CBS Sports colleagues, are multilingual broadcasters fluent in English, French, and Spanish
- Chelsea legend Didier Drogba, who hosted previous ceremonies, will not return to the podium for this edition
PAY ATTENTION: Find it fast with our new search feature at Legit.ng!
France Football and UEFA have announced that former Arsenal striker Thierry Henry and British journalist Kate Scott will host the 70th edition of the Ballon d'Or.
The ceremony will be held on Monday, October 26, at the London Palladium, the first time outside of the traditional home of the award in Paris.
Source: Getty Images
The Ballon d'Or confirmed the news in a joint statement, which read:
“Thierry Henry, 2003 Ballon d'Or runner-up, and British journalist Kate Scott will host the ceremony for the 70th edition of the Ballon d'Or on Monday, October 26, at the London Palladium."
Henry and Scott Bring multilingual flair
Both Henry and Scott are well-known faces at CBS Sports Golazo’s UEFA Champions League team and bring a wealth of experience to the event.
The pair are fluent in English, French, and Spanish, among other languages, which positions them well to engage the global audience that the Ballon d'Or attracts.
As noted by Sun Sport, Henry, who finished as runner-up at the 2003 Ballon d'Or behind Pavel Nedved, returns to the award's spotlight in a new capacity. Scott, for her part, has built a strong reputation in football broadcasting, having interviewed high-profile figures including Lionel Messi, Pele, and Diego Maradona.
Chelsea and Ivory Coast legend Didier Drogba, who served as a familiar presence on the Ballon d'Or stage in previous years, will not be hosting this edition. The organisers appear to be signalling a fresh direction for the ceremony's presentation.
The winners of the 2026 Ballon d'Or are set to be revealed exactly one week after the ceremony announcement, with France Football noting that the suspense over who will claim the top prize “remains intact.”.
Updated Ballon d'Or rankings
Legit.ng previously reported the updated Ballon d'Or rankings exactly a week before the 2026 award ceremony for the first time in London.
England international Harry Kane remains the leading favourite to win the award, with Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal among the other contenders.
Source: Legit.ng
