Real Madrid have reportedly decided to end their Ballon d'Or boycott and will attend this year's ceremony, according to L'Équipe. The club plans to be present at the 2026 gala at the London Palladium Theatre on Monday, Oct. 26.
Los Blancos have stayed away from the event since Rodri won the Men's Ballon d'Or ahead of Vinícius Júnior in 2024. The club condemned the voting after learning that Vinícius finished second despite winning the Champions League, La Liga and the Spanish Super Cup that season, and it refused to attend. The boycott continued in 2025, with no representatives from the Real Madrid men's team or the club's hierarchy showing up for a second straight year. Reports before last year's ceremony indicated the club and France Football had failed to repair their relationship.
The club's nominees are expected to travel to England the day after a Clásico against Barcelona at Camp Nou on Sunday.
Mbappé Confirms He Will Attend
Kylian Mbappé is among the favorites for this year's Men's Ballon d'Or. He won a second consecutive Pichichi Trophy as La Liga's top scorer and also led the Champions League in goals during the 2025-26 season. At the 2026 World Cup, Mbappé scored 10 goals as France finished fourth, and he became the tournament's all-time leading scorer at 27. In total, he scored 58 goals for club and country this season.
Mbappé followed Real Madrid's lead in skipping the ceremony the past two years, but he has already confirmed he will be in London this time. "El Clásico and then Ballon d'Or ceremony? Let's go for it," he said after Real Madrid's 4-1 Champions League win over RB Leipzig on Wednesday.
Real Madrid's 2026 Nominees
Real Madrid have four nominees for the Men's Ballon d'Or: Jude Bellingham, recognized for his form at the World Cup with England and his season in Madrid; Mbappé; Vinícius Júnior, who was Real Madrid's best player in the second half of the season and Brazil's best player at the World Cup; and summer signing Marc Cucurella, nominated for his role in Spain's World Cup campaign.
Caroline Weir, now at OL Lyonnes, is nominated for the Women's Ballon d'Or for her final season at Real Madrid, marking her second consecutive nomination. For the Kopa Trophy, Real Madrid's Yan Diomande and Felicia Schröder have also received nods, though Barcelona's Lamine Yamal and Vicky López are expected to win the award. Thibaut Courtois is up for the Yashin Trophy for the fourth time in his career, having previously won it in 2022.
