London was still waiting for the Ballon d’Or ceremony to begin when France Football briefly threw the evening into confusion, publishing separate winner announcements for Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane.
The three posts appeared on the magazine’s official website around two hours before the ceremony, due to start at 17:00. Each named a different player as the 2026 men’s Ballon d’Or winner, before all were removed shortly afterwards.
Quick facts
- France Football deleted three conflicting 2026 Ballon d’Or winner posts.
- Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé and Harry Kane were each named in separate publications.
- The awards ceremony was scheduled to begin in London at 17:00.
- Vini Jr. placed 17th, Gabriel Magalhães 21st and Marquinhos 25th in the men’s ranking.
- Brazil goalkeeper Lorena finished 28th in the women’s player standings and remains in contention for the best goalkeeper award.
The deleted publications came as France Football began releasing the lower positions in both the men’s and women’s player rankings. The premature posts did not establish a confirmed winner, with three different favourites identified across the brief announcements.
Brazil’s nominees had already learned their places in the men’s list. Real Madrid forward Vini Jr. was ranked 17th, Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhães took 21st, and Marquinhos finished 25th.
Lorena was placed 28th in the women’s Ballon d’Or standings. The Brazilian international also remains among the candidates for the goalkeeper prize, leaving one more individual honour to be decided during the London event.
