Chaos erupted on the official Ballon d’Or website hours before the prestigious gala at The London Palladium in London, as organizers accidentally published multiple “winners” for the 2026 men’s award. The premature posts erroneously declared Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, and Kylian Mbappé as the recipients of the top honor, sparking immediate confusion among fans and media outlets worldwide. This technical blunder occurred just as the ceremony was set to begin, creating a bizarre prelude to the night’s main event.
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France Football, the event’s organizer, quickly issued a statement to the BBC clarifying that the articles were pre-written profiles for all nominees rather than actual results. “Some profiles of nominees prepared by BallonDor.com were inadvertently published online,” the statement read. The organization emphasized that these pieces were drafted in advance to streamline the live coverage process but stressed that they should not be interpreted as an indication of the final rankings or the true winner of the award.
The incident highlights the high-pressure environment of the Ballon d’Or ceremony, where every second counts in revealing the year’s greatest footballer. While the website error caused a momentary stir, the focus remains on the official announcement during the live broadcast. Fans are now waiting for the definitive result to determine whether Kane, Yamal, or Mbappé truly claimed the golden ball, putting an end to the digital confusion that preceded the gala.
Source: Newsday
