The build-up to football’s most prestigious individual awards ceremony descended into confusion on Monday after the official Ballon d’Or website inadvertently published separate articles declaring Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal winners of the 2026 men’s award.
The technical error occurred approximately two and a half hours before the 70th edition of the ceremony was scheduled to begin at London’s Palladium Theatre.
All three articles were subsequently removed, but screenshots circulated on social media, fuelling speculation about the identity of the eventual winner.
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Kane, Bayern Munich striker, Mbappé, Real Madrid forward, and Yamal, Barcelona winger, were each named as the winner in separate articles that briefly appeared on the organisers’ website.
The organisers subsequently clarified that the articles were prepared in advance for different possible outcomes and did not reveal the final rankings.
“Portraits of some Ballon d’Or nominees prepared by BallonDor.com were inadvertently published online,” the organisers stated.
“These articles had been prepared in advance for all nominees in the event of a win. They DO NOT, in any way, reveal the podium, which remains unknown to everyone at this time.”
The statement sought to quell speculation that the publication error had compromised the secrecy surrounding the results.
One article, headlined “Harry Kane wins 2026 Ballon d’Or”, highlighted the England captain’s goalscoring achievements during the 2025/26 season.
Another declared that Yamal, 19, had become the youngest winner in the award’s 70-year history, while a third praised Mbappé’s consistency at the highest level.
The appearance of three conflicting announcements raised questions about the website’s publication procedures, although the organisers insisted that the articles did not disclose the final standings.
The incident added an unexpected twist to the build-up to the ceremony, as nominees and guests gathered in London for the announcement of the 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or winner.
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