Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal have all been named as the 2026 Ballon d'Or winner in three separate articles published on the ceremony's official website before the 70th annual awards evening began on Monday night at the London Palladium.
All three articles have since been removed, with the Kane one being the first to go, followed by Mbappe's and finally the piece proclaiming Yamal the winner. The leak has shocked the organisers of the event.
Three 'winners' announced before ceremony
The bizarre leak saw three different winners announced ahead of the ceremony, which is set to take place at the London Palladium. Each of the articles appeared on the official website before being taken down.
The removals happened in quick succession, with the Kane article removed first, then the Mbappe piece, and finally the Yamal article. The incident has created confusion around the outcome of the prestigious award.
Ceremony underway amid confusion
The Ballon d'Or 2026 ceremony is now underway, with the top 30 list being announced live. The leak has cast a shadow over the event as fans and officials await the official result.
This is a breaking news story and more updates are expected to follow as the evening progresses.
