Premature Ballon d’Or profiles appeared for five nominees, organisers say
Developing story first seen 6 hours ago
Newly surfaced profiles show that Harry Kane was not the only nominee prematurely described as a 2026 Ballon d’Or winner. The organisers said the articles were prepared for all nominees and were published by mistake, so they do not indicate who won.
Kane’s profile began circulating more than four hours before the ceremony at London’s Palladium Theatre, prompting speculation that the result had been revealed. Similar profiles appeared for fellow men’s contenders Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé, and women’s contenders Alexia Putellas and Ewa Pajor. Kane could become the first Englishman to win the men’s award since 2001.
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In short
- Kane’s winner profile appeared online before the ceremony.
- Similar profiles were prepared for other nominees.
- Organisers said the articles do not reveal the results.
How this story developed
- 16 minutes ago The Ballon d’Or website itself briefly declared Kane the winner more than four hours before the result was due, but organisers said the mistakenly published nominee articles revealed neither the winner nor the rankings.
- 21 minutes ago Profiles circulating before the London ceremony described Harry Kane and several other nominees as 2026 Ballon d’Or winners, though organisers said they had been prepared for all contenders and published by mistake.
Where outlets differ
Left-leaning outlets 1
Only here: harry, kane, claims, england, wait
Centre outlets 1
Only here: premature, profiles, appeared, five, nominees
Every side used: ballon
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Originally published by BBC Sport as “Kane prematurely announced as Ballon d’Or winner – but he wasn’t only one”.