Ballon d'Or website mistakenly posts premature winner articles for Kane and others
Harry Kane appeared to have won the 2026 Ballon d'Or after an article on the award's official website prematurely declared him the winner, causing widespread confusion online. The article, titled "Harry Kane wins the 2026 Ballon d'Or," was published over four hours before the official ceremony at London's Palladium Theatre. However, similar pieces were also found for other favourites like Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe, prompting organisers to remove them. A Ballon d'Or spokesperson said the articles were "inadvertently published" and prepared for all nominees, stressing they were not an indication of final results. The winner remains unannounced, with Kane hoping to become the first Englishman to win since 2001.