The official Ballon d’Or website plunged into chaos hours before the start of the ceremony in London by mistakenly publishing three separate articles, each naming a different player as the winner of football’s most prestigious individual prize. The mix-up occurred ahead of the event at the London Palladium, according to Daily Mail.
Pre-Ceremony Blunder Exposes Three Draft Winners
The premature publication featured dedicated articles for England captain Harry Kane, Barcelona winger Lamine Yamal, and Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé. Organisers appeared to have logically prepared separate drafts in advance to deploy depending on the final outcome, but accidentally pushed them live simultaneously.
Reactions and Removal of the Draft Articles
The sudden leak triggered a series of frantic phone calls and messages among shocked organisers after reporters alerted them to the error. An investigation was swiftly launched into the mishap, which damages the reputation of an award that relies heavily on keeping its final result secret until the very last moment.
While the articles announcing Kane and Mbappé as victors were promptly taken down, the post naming Yamal remained live on the website for over 30 minutes after staff were notified. International media outlets described the situation as chaotic and panicked, as the blunder potentially revealed the identities of the top three finalists. Voting for the award had already closed on September 28, meaning organisers had known the results for some time.
The leaked articles detailed distinct achievements for each candidate:
- Harry Kane: Highlighted a 61-goal season, a domestic Treble with Bayern Munich, and reaching a century of goals for the German club in record time.
- Lamine Yamal: Hailed the 19-year-old as the “new king of football” and the youngest winner in the history of the award established in 1956, surpassing previous records held by Ronaldo Nazário and Lionel Messi.
- Kylian Mbappé: Praised the French star for his consistency at the highest level and a record-breaking World Cup campaign alongside his goals for Los Blancos.
Yamal and Kane Seek Historic Ballon d'Or Wins
The mix-up preceded the 70th ceremony in London, where the ultimate winner was set to be revealed. Prior to the incident, Foot-Africa.com noted that Yamal was also in contention for the Kopa Trophy, creating the possibility of an unprecedented double victory for best player and best young player at the same ceremony. Meanwhile, Kane was bidding to become the first English player to win the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen in 2001, while Yamal and Mbappé sought their maiden triumphs after previous best finishes of second and third, respectively.
The winner of the Ballon d’Or is decided by an international jury of specialist journalists who assess players based on individual performances, team performances, and fair play. As reporting on the incident unfolded through outlets like Goal.com and onefootball.com, no official explanation was provided regarding how the draft versions were accessed or published.