Ballon d’Or chaos as Kane, Yamal and Mbappe ‘leaked’ as winners before ceremony
Sports2 sources2 countries🔦 Under-reported42m ago
The official Ballon d'Or website mistakenly published articles hours before Monday's ceremony in London, naming three different players as winners of the 2026 men's award. The accidental publication caused chaos and led to widespread reports that Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal, and Kylian Mbappé had been leaked as the victors.
The blunder occurred shortly before the scheduled event in the British capital. The premature publication of multiple potential winners on the official platform raised questions and generated significant media attention surrounding the prestigious football accolade.
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How the coverage differs
Same story, different emphasis — here's what each outlet chose to lead with.
ESPN Soccer (US)Emphasizes the operational blunder and technical nature of the website mistake
Independent.ie (Dublin, Ireland) (IE)Focuses on the resulting chaos and the specific players named as leaks
Newz