Ballon d’Or organisers deny leak after draft winner articles go live

Organisers of the 2026 Ballon d’Or have issued an official statement clarifying that reports suggesting the men’s award podium had been prematurely revealed were unfounded.

Hours before Monday’s ceremony, the official Ballon d’Or website published three separate pre-written articles celebrating Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane as the winners of the prestigious award.

Mbappé’s article described him as “consistency personified at the very highest level", while Kane was praised for his goal-scoring exploits. Yamal, meanwhile, was described as “the new king of football.”

The articles were subsequently removed, prompting organisers to provide an explanation through the ceremony’s official live blog.

“Portraits of some Ballon d’Or nominees prepared by Ballondor.com were inadvertently published online,” a statement read.

“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 clarification came amid speculation that the publication of the three articles had exposed the likely winner and podium positions before the official announcement.

Mbappé, Kane and Yamal entered the ceremony among the leading contenders for the men’s award. However, the race remained open, with other candidates, including Lionel Messi, Rodri and Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, also attracting attention.

The incident added an unexpected twist to the build-up to the 2026 Ballon d’Or ceremony, as fans sought clarity over whether the prematurely published articles offered any indication of the final result.