Real Madrid shake up their stance on the Ballon d'Or ceremony
Monday is the day everyone has been waiting for: the 2026 Ballon d'Or ceremony. Everyone has been debating for months whether Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, or Kylian Mbappe will be handed the famous Golden Ball, and after months of speculation, we will finally have an answer. Real Madrid has had a strained relationship with the Ballon d'Or ceremony in recent years; however, in typical Real Madrid fashion, they have managed to grab the headlines by just simply changing their stance on the award.
As being reported by L'Equipe, Real Madrid representatives will be present at the Ballon d'Or ceremony in London next week, marking the first time in two years Real Madrid will be attending the ceremony. Los Blancos have decided to end their boycott of the award ceremony, with not just club representatives, but players also expected to be present in London on Monday. Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, and Vinicius Junior are among the nominees for the award, with Mbappe one of the favorites to win.
Real Madrid ready to mend fences with the Ballon d'Or ceremony
Real Madrid's boycott began with the 2024 edition of the award following Rodri being named winner over Vinicius Junior, who many, including everyone at Real Madrid, believed was the sure-fire winner that year. Real Madrid continued their boycott of the ceremony in 2025, with the club still holding a grudge for what they believed to be an injustice done to them the year before. However, for some unknown reason, things have now changed.
Real Madrid are seemingly now ready to mend fences with France Football and the Ballon d'Or, with a number of big names expected to be present, where all eyes in the footballing world will be focused.
Real Madrid has four players nominated for the award: Kylian Mbappe, Jude Bellingham, Vinicius Junior, and Marc Cucurella, as well as Thibaut Courtois being nominated for the best goalkeeper award and Yan Diomande for best young player.
The exact reason for Real Madrid's sudden change of stance on the ceremony is still somewhat unknown, but one could speculate it could have to do with the winner. Kylian Mbappe is among the three favorites to take home the award, so potentially Real Madrid is confident he'll be bringing the prestigious Golden Ball back to the Bernabeu, hence their presence at the ceremony. No one will know the true answer until next week, but given Real Madrid is one of, if not the biggest club in the world, their representation at the biggest ceremony in football is a win for the footballing world.
