Overview
- The official Ballon d'Or website briefly published and then deleted prewritten winner profiles for Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé, producing conflicting announcements that circulated online.
- France Football issued a statement saying the portraits were prepared in advance, were published involuntarily and do not announce the podium, and the organisation has opened an internal inquiry.
- The ceremony at the London Palladium was delayed by about 30 minutes while the red carpet continued and high-profile guests, including a Real Madrid delegation led by Mbappé, arrived.
- Because the 100 jurors closed and sealed their ballots at the end of September, France Football says the website error cannot change who receives votes but the mistake has nevertheless sown public confusion.
- Watch for the inquiry's findings and any technical fixes to ballondor.com as the episode could prompt stricter controls on prewritten content and affect public confidence in future awards.