Sports
Ballon d'Or Website Publishes Premature Winner Articles, Including Kane, Yamal, and Mbappé
At 17:15 GMT, an article on the Ballon d'Or official website titled "Harry Kane wins the 2026 Ballon d'Or" was posted and quickly circulated online, leading to confusion about whether the award had been prematurely announced. The confusion was clarified when it was discovered that similar articles had been published for other top contenders, such as Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal and Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé. A Ballon d'Or spokesperson told BBC Sport that the profiles of nominees prepared by BallonDor.com were inadvertently published and should not be taken as an indication of the final results or rankings. By 17:40, the articles about Kane and Mbappé were removed from the website. Similar premature pieces were also written about London City Lionesses star Alexia Putellas and Barcelona’s Ewa Pajor. Putellas was later officially confirmed as the winner of the women’s Ballon d'Or. The premature announcement may have sparked excitement in Kane, but he had to wait a little longer to confirm his status.
Frequently asked questions
Why did the Ballon d'Or website publish premature winner articles?
The profiles of nominees prepared by BallonDor.com were inadvertently published and should not be taken as an indication of final results.
Which players were featured in the premature articles?
Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé, Alexia Putellas, and Ewa Pajor.
What was the outcome for Alexia Putellas?
She was later officially confirmed as the winner of the women’s Ballon d'Or.