Online confusion erupted shortly after 17:15 GMT on Monday when an article titled “Harry Kane wins the 2026 Ballon d’Or” appeared on the award’s official website. The premature announcement began circulating more than four and a half hours before the prestigious gala was scheduled to take place at London’s Palladium Theatre. For a moment, it seemed as though Harry Kane’s dreams of winning the Ballon d’Or had come true.
The early release prompted fans and observers to speculate whether organizer France Football had accidentally leaked the secret winner, who was selected through a journalistic vote completed in late September. Kane hopes to become the first English player to claim the prestigious honor since Michael Owen won it in 2001. He will have to wait a little longer to find out, if Kane is to realise his dream and become the first Englishman to win the award since 2001. With some wondering whether France Football – the organisers of the award – had fallen short at the final hurdle of keeping the winner, who was voted for by journalists at the end of September, under wraps, the widespread sharing of the article caused confusion online.
Uncertainty grew when further searches on the site disclosed similar articles already prepared and published for other leading candidates. Pieces were drafted for Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe, Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, and Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi, alongside women’s award contenders Alexia Putellas of London City Lionesses and Barcelona’s Ewa Pajor.
Articles featuring Kane and Mbappe were taken down by 17:40 BST. It remains unclear if the original postings resulted from a technical glitch or if their swift removal was an attempt at immediate damage control, leaving Kane and fellow nominees to await the official announcement at the ceremony later that evening.
