LONDON, October 26, 2026 â The official Ballon d’Or website appears to have accidentally published three different winner announcements just hours before the 2026 awards ceremony, naming Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and Kylian MbappĂ© as recipients of football’s most prestigious individual honour.
đš đĄđđȘ: The official Ballon d’Or website is now deleting all the Harry Kane, Kylian MbappĂ© and Lamine Yamal Ballon d’Or winning articles. They made a HUGE mistake by uploading them and now the top 3 has been reveiled. https://t.co/b6ajUpB7NH
— The Touchline | đ (@TouchlineX) October 26, 2026
The apparent publishing mistake caused confusion among supporters after an article declaring Bayern Munich striker Harry Kane the winner began circulating online. But what initially looked like an early revelation took an unexpected turn when two more articles emerged, separately announcing victories for Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid’s Kylian MbappĂ©.
According to USA TODAY, all three articles were accessible on the official award website before the winner was announced, suggesting that alternative versions of the result had been prepared in advance.
Ballon d’Or Website Apparently Publishes Winner Articles by Accident
The confusion began with a headline naming Harry Kane as the 2026 Ballon d’Or winner and celebrating the England captain’s remarkable 61-goal campaign with Bayern Munich.
However, supporters soon discovered similar articles concerning two other leading contenders.
- Harry Kane: An article announcing the Bayern Munich striker’s victory and highlighting his most important goals from the season.
- Lamine Yamal: A separate article declaring the Barcelona forward the winner and describing his achievement as an unprecedented record.
- Kylian Mbappé: Another article naming the Real Madrid star as the winner and praising his consistency at the highest level.
Spanish newspaper AS reported that the three links disappeared minutes after they were discovered, indicating that the apparent error was quickly corrected.
French football publication Foot Mercato also described the incident as an apparent accidental publication of articles prepared ahead of the ceremony.
The incident appears to be a website publishing blunder rather than a genuine announcement of three winners. Preparing alternative reports is common in sports journalism, particularly when the result of a major event must be published immediately after an official announcement.
There is no confirmed evidence that the website accidentally revealed the actual Ballon d’Or winner. The publication of three conflicting articles also does not establish the final voting positions of Kane, Yamal and MbappĂ©.
Although multiple news organisations have characterised the incident as accidental, the precise technical cause has not been publicly established.
Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and Mbappé Await Official Result
The unusual incident came during an intensely contested Ballon d’Or race, with all three players attracting considerable attention ahead of the ceremony.
Kane entered the event following an extraordinary season in Germany. The England captain scored 61 goals for Bayern Munich during the 2025â26 campaign and helped the club achieve domestic success.
Winning the Ballon d’Or would make Kane the first English recipient of the men’s award since Michael Owen in 2001.
Yamal, meanwhile, has become one of the most influential young players in European football. His performances for Barcelona and Spain have placed him among the leading candidates for an award traditionally dominated by established stars.
MbappĂ© is also seeking his first Ballon d’Or, with his performances for Real Madrid and France strengthening his position among the world’s leading forwards.
The 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony takes place at the London Palladium on Monday, October 26, marking the 70th anniversary of the prestigious award and its first ceremony in London.
Football supporters following the announcements can find the Ballon d’Or 2026 ceremony schedule, nominees and viewing information in Swikblog’s dedicated coverage of the London event.
The apparent mistake has raised questions about how the prewritten articles became publicly accessible before the official announcement. While the three names have fuelled speculation about the final rankings, their appearance on the website should not be treated as confirmation of the result.
The key distinction is that the website appears to have accidentally published prepared winner announcements, not officially confirmed three different winners. The actual result must be established from the award organisers’ final announcement.
Sources: USA TODAY | AS | Goal | Foot Mercato | Official Ballon d’Or Website
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