The ceremony will depart from the usual location in Paris, France. This change is a nod to Sir Stanley Matthews, who won the award in 1956 while playing for Blackpool. The winner of the Ballon d'Or is chosen from a shortlist of 30 players, selected by France Football and L'Équipe. The jury consists of one journalist per country, with the top 100 countries in the FIFA world rankings being represented for the men's award, and the top 50 for the women's award. Each journalist selects their top 10 players, with the number one player receiving 15 points and the number 10 player receiving 1 point. The player with the most points is declared the winner, who can call themselves the best footballer of the season 2025/26.