The football world has been left in a state of confusion after the official Ballon d'Or website appeared to announce three different winners just hours before the gala. Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappe and Lamine Yamal were all individually celebrated as the recipient of the 2026 trophy in a series of shocking technical errors.
Organisers launch investigation into major blunder
The build-up to football's most prestigious individual awards night has been overshadowed by an extraordinary technical glitch that saw multiple players crowned prematurely. In a series of articles that appeared on the official Ballon d'Or website, England captain Kane, Real Madrid superstar Mbappe, and Barcelona sensation Yamal were all presented as the winner. The mistakes were spotted on Monday afternoon, triggering an immediate wave of panic and confusion among those coordinating the event at the London Palladium.
The scale of the mistake was significant, with each article written as a definitive tribute to a specific winner. Kane's dedicated page featured the headline: 'Harry Kane wins 2026 Ballon d'Or: Here are his best and most meaningful strikes from a 61-goal season'. This specific piece focused on his record-breaking form at Bayern Munich, where he helped secure a domestic Treble and reached a century of goals in unprecedented time, according to reports from Daily Mail.
Harry Kane's remarkable season highlighted
The content within the Kane article left little room for doubt regarding his supposed victory, stating: 'A record-breaking welter of league and cup goals in 2025-26 has propelled Harry Kane to Ballon d'Or success. Here we identify his most iconic and greatest finishes in what has been a bountiful year.'
Organisers had clearly prepared comprehensive dossiers for every major candidate to ensure immediate coverage once the winner was revealed.
Youngster Lamine Yamal dubbed the 'new king'
Equally shocking was the announcement concerning Yamal, which claimed the teenager had shattered every existing age record in the competition's history. The article asserted: 'In fact, at just 19 years of age, Lamine Yamal has just become the youngest winner in the history of the Ballon d'Or, which was established in 1956.' It went on to compare his meteoric rise to that of Lionel Messi and Brazilian legend Ronaldo, suggesting the Spaniard had surpassed both icons in terms of early-career impact.
The text continued its glowing appraisal by noting: 'To truly appreciate the scale of his achievement, one need only recall that not even Lionel Messi - the record holder for the most trophies - had managed to win the Ballon d'Or at that age. The Argentine star won it for the first time in 2009, when he was 22 years and 160 days old. The all-time record for the youngest winner, until this magical evening in London, belonged to Ronaldo Nazario, who won the Ballon d'Or at the age of 21 years and 92 days. Now, this historic record belongs to the new king of football and the brand-new winner of the most prestigious trophy on the planet. It belongs to Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana.'
Kylian Mbappe also listed as first-time winner
Not to be outdone by his rivals, Mbappe was the subject of a third celebratory post that heralded his long-awaited ascent to the top of the sport. The article described the Frenchman as 'consistency personified at the very highest level' and pointed toward his achievements on the international stage. It claimed that his exploits had finally earned him the golden ball, stating: 'A record-breaking World Cup and another welter of goals for Los Blancos has brought Kylian Mbappe his first Ballon d'Or triumph. Here we celebrate the French star's consistency, not just last season, but every season since first emerging as a true phenomenon.'