Hankook Tire extends Ballon d'Or partnership for 3rd straight year

Hankook Tire is extending its presence in global football as it returns for a third consecutive year as an official sponsor of the Ballon d’Or, with this year’s ceremony marking the award’s 70th anniversary and its first edition in London. Hankook Tire & Technology, part of Hankook & Company Group, said it will sponsor the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony, scheduled for Oct. 26 at the London Palladium Theatre. Established in 1956 by French football magazine France Football, the Ballon d’Or is widely regarded as one of the highest individual honors in football, recognizing players for their performances during the previous season. Since 2024, France Football, part of the L’Équipe Group, has organized the awards in partnership with UEFA. This year’s ceremony moves to London for the first time, commemorating seven decades since the award’s founding and paying tribute to Stanley Matthews, the England international who won the inaugural Ballon d’Or in 1956. The ceremony will also reveal the successors to last year’s winners, Aitana Bonmatí and Ousmane Dembélé. Hankook Tire said