Several articles naming Harry Kane, then Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal as the trophy winner were published and relayed during the Ballon d'or ceremony.
The Ballon d'or evening, Monday 26 October 2026, was marked by unusual confusion on social media. Shortly before the official unveiling of the honours list, the website dedicated to the award appeared to publish an article announcing the victory of Harry Kane, striker for Bayern Munich and captain of England.
The post spread quickly. A few minutes later, other texts of the same kind appeared, successively naming Kylian Mbappé, striker for Real Madrid and captain of the French national team, then Lamine Yamal, the young winger for FC Barcelona and Spain. Each announcement was picked up, commented on and then contradicted by new postings, without the organiser immediately confirming which, if any, reflected an actual decision.
Faced with these contradictory contents, internet users and several observers questioned the nature of the incident. Was it a simple handling error before publication, a technical test, or an operation designed to throw people off the scent before the official announcement? None of these hypotheses could be confirmed at this stage by the organisers.
This sequence highlights the sensitivity of the Ballon d'or ceremony, whose winner is traditionally kept secret until the moment of the presentation. Every year, the award, which honours the best player of the season, fuels intense predictions and debates among fans, pundits and specialists.
The editorial team will therefore only report information validated by the organiser. Articles published in error or unverified cannot constitute an official result, and readers are advised to await confirmation of the honours list before taking any award of the trophy for granted.
The post spread quickly. A few minutes later, other texts of the same kind appeared, successively naming Kylian Mbappé, striker for Real Madrid and captain of the French national team, then Lamine Yamal, the young winger for FC Barcelona and Spain. Each announcement was picked up, commented on and then contradicted by new postings, without the organiser immediately confirming which, if any, reflected an actual decision.
Faced with these contradictory contents, internet users and several observers questioned the nature of the incident. Was it a simple handling error before publication, a technical test, or an operation designed to throw people off the scent before the official announcement? None of these hypotheses could be confirmed at this stage by the organisers.
This sequence highlights the sensitivity of the Ballon d'or ceremony, whose winner is traditionally kept secret until the moment of the presentation. Every year, the award, which honours the best player of the season, fuels intense predictions and debates among fans, pundits and specialists.
The editorial team will therefore only report information validated by the organiser. Articles published in error or unverified cannot constitute an official result, and readers are advised to await confirmation of the honours list before taking any award of the trophy for granted.
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Source: Ouest-France