The Ballon dOr were forced to release a statement after accidentally publishing several articles on their official site all announcing different winners ahead of Mondays ceremony.Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe all had articles published on them winning the coveted award, with the three articles later deleted.A subsequent statement from a Ballon dOr spokesperson said: Portraits of some Ballon dOr nominees prepared by Ballondor.com were inadvertently published online.These articles had been prepared in advance for all nominees in the event of a win. They DO NOT, in any way, reveal the podium, which remains unknown to everyone at this time.The Ballon dOr ceremony, hosted in London, has now been pushed back to 8:30pm GMT, which is unknown to be a result of the article mistakes.Ballon dOr: Kane prematurely named winnerAn article naming Harry Kane as the winner of the 2026 Ballon dOr began circulating online shortly after 17:15 GMT on Monday, more than four hours before the ceremony was due to begin at Londons Palladium Theatre.The piece, published on the awards official website, sparked confusion over whether organisers France Football had accidentally revealed the winner after journalists voted at the end of September.However, further investigation revealed similar articles had also been published for other leading contenders, including Barcelonas Yamal and Real Madrids Mbappe.You can follow live updates on the Ballon Dor ceremony with 101GreatGoals.More to follow.Where to watch Ballon dOr 2026: TV channel, live online streamIn most territories, you can watch the 2026 Ballon dOr awards ceremony free on DAZN.Viewers without an existing DAZN account shouldcreate a free membershipusing their email address.For other territories, visit UEFAs Ballon dOr broadcast list. Topics FC Barcelona FC Bayern Munich Harry Kane Kylian Mbappe Lamine Yamal Lionel Messi Real Madrid CF If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read Ballon dOr 2026: Follow the results live from London Cian Cheesbrough 26th October, 2026 What time is the Ballon dOr ceremony 2026? Full start details, confirmed timings Ben Miller 26th October, 2026 Ballon dOr 2026: Odds, stats and where to watch with Harry Kane favourite to win ahead of Kylian Mbappe, Lamine Yamal and Lionel Messi Jon Fisher 26th October, 2026 Barcelona 1-2 Madrid: Report, result, goals as Mbappe double settles el clasico Ben Miller 25th October, 2026 Jose Mourinho gives Lamine Yamal verdict: He tried everything Ben Miller 26th October, 2026 Barcelona v Real Madrid as it happened live: Updates, stats, goals Jon Fisher 25th October, 2026
