Where is the Ballon d’Or gala held? Venue for annual football award ceremony

Each fall, soccer’s best and brightest talents are crowned in front of a raucous crowd filled with some of the sport’s most notable figures.

The Ballon d’Or represents the beautiful game’s most prestigious individual prize. Plated in gold and glory, the 7kg trophy draws a wide array of admirers, all hoping to catch a glimpse of the glistening award — and the players deemed talented enough to hoist it.

The trophy — along with its counterpart, the Ballon d’Or Féminin — has been lifted by numerous legends, from Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Megan Rapinoe to Karim Benzema, Rodri and Aitana Bonmatí.

But where exactly is the Ballon d’Or ceremony — one of the most significant events on the soccer calendar — held? Here’s what you need to know.

MORE: History of Ballon d’Or winners

Where is the Ballon d’Or gala held?

The Ballon d’Or will be presented at Théâtre du Châtelet, a storied theater and opera house located in Paris’ first arrondissement. The site has hosted the annual event since 2019.

Unveiled in 1862, the 2,500-seat ground has played host to a number of notable spectacles, from the premiere of Claude Debussy’s “Le Martyre de saint Sebastien” in 1911 to Igor Stravinsky’s “Petrushka.” Composers Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Gustav Mahler also starred at the venue, which is marked by Palladian entrances and features a fountain adorned with sphinxes in the center of its plaza.

Ballon d’Or winners by year

Men’s Ballon d’Or winners

The first Ballon d’Or was awarded in 1956 to Blackpool legend Stanley Matthews, one of the greats of the English game.

Dutch giant Johan Cruyff became the first player to win it three times in the 1970s. French star Michel Platini won it three times in a row — the first to achieve that feat — in the 80’s.

Messi won the 2021 Ballon d’Or, beating out Robert Lewandowski and Jorginho by a narrow margin for his seventh trophy. He finished ahead of Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe two years later.

MORE: Ballon d’Or vs FIFA’s The Best awards

Women’s Ballon d’Or

The Ballon d’Or Feminin has been awarded since 2018 with the 2020 event cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ada Hegerberg was the inaugural winner, followed by USWNT great Megan Rapinoe. Barcelona have dominated since, withAlexia Putellas winning in 2021 and 2022, and Aitana Bonmati claiming titles in 2023 and 2024.