The football world collectively gasped shortly after 5:15 PM GMT on Monday when an article titled “Harry Kane wins the 2026 Ballon d’Or” from the award’s official site started flying around online. This wasn’t some back alley rumor, this was supposedly the official word, dropped more than four and a half hours before the game’s most prestigious individual award was even due to be announced at a star-studded event in London. Talk about breaking news!
The ‘Winning’ Articles Hit Early, Sparking Chaos
Imagine the scene: everyone’s gearing up for the big reveal at the Palladium Theatre, probably polishing their predictions and debating who really deserves it. Then BAM, an article from the source itself declares Harry Kane the winner. Naturally, online feeds blew up. Fans and journalists alike were left scratching their heads, wondering if France Football, the award organizers, had completely fumbled the bag and let the secret slip way too early. The integrity of the whole thing felt like it was on the line, and the confusion was absolutely off the charts. Was this real? Was it a joke? Nobody knew what to think.
Mbappe, Yamal, Messi… Everyone Was a ‘Winner’?
As if the Kane leak wasn’t wild enough, a bit more digging on the Ballon d’Or website revealed this wasn’t an isolated incident. Articles declaring Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal, Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe, and even Lionel Messi of Inter Miami as winners had also been penned and published. It was like a free-for-all, with several of the favorites seemingly getting the “early bird” treatment. Shortly before 5:40 PM BST, those articles about Kane and Mbappe vanished from the site, but the damage was done. We still don’t know if this was a mistake, a botched damage control attempt, or what. Similar pieces were also found for the women’s award, mentioning London City Lionesses star Alexia Putellas and Barcelona’s Ewa Pajor as favorites.
So, if Harry Kane is truly set to break that 2001 streak and become the first Englishman to grab this coveted award, he, and all of us, are just going to have to wait a little longer. The actual winners, both men’s and women’s, will be revealed tonight at the Palladium Theatre. After all that craziness, you gotta tune in, because who knows what’s coming next!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
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