Harry Kane's Ballon d'Or win was confirmed on Monday night, but hours earlier the official website mistakenly published articles declaring him the winner. At 17:15 GMT, an article titled 'Harry Kane wins the 2026 Ballon d'Or' began circulating online, causing widespread confusion. France Football, the award's organiser, later revealed that similar articles had been prepared for other top nominees including Barcelona's Lamine Yamal, Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe, London City Lionesses' Alexia Putellas, and Barcelona's Ewa Pajor. A Ballon d'Or spokesperson stated the profiles were 'inadvertently published' and 'should in no way be considered as an indication of the final results.' By 17:40, the articles were removed. Putellas was later confirmed as the women's Ballon d'Or winner.
The premature release sparked excitement for Kane, who had long been tipped as a contender. The incident highlighted the challenges of maintaining secrecy in major sports awards, even with strict protocols in place. While the blunder caused brief chaos online, the official results ultimately stood, with Kane securing the men's award and Putellas the women's.
Source: BBC Sport Football · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing