70th Ballon d’Or in London Turns to Chaos After Website Accidentally Publishes 3 Winners

It was supposed to be a secret till the envelope opened.

Instead, at 4pm on Monday in London, the Ballon d’Or website decided to tell everyone at once.

Three articles went live. One: Harry Kane winner. Another: Kylian Mbappé winner. Another: Lamine Yamal winner. Same trophy, three kings, two-and-a-half hours before the 70th ceremony was due to start at London’s Palladium Theatre.

Fans refreshed. Screenshotted. And then the site panicked and pulled them down.

According to The Sun, the glitch briefly revealed pre-written articles naming Kane the winner, alongside pieces on Yamal and Mbappé, fueling speculation before organisers pulled them. One article naming Yamal remained live for over 30 minutes after organisers were told about the blunder. Phones rang, WhatsApp groups of staff lit up — “complete chaos” behind the scenes.

And if you read the leaked draft you sent — the one naming Harry Kane winner early — it said it all: Kane’s 61-goal season with Bayern Munich, including a domestic double, positions him as frontrunner in a tight race with Mbappé, Yamal, Messi, and Rodri. Pundits noted it could be first English win since Michael Owen in 2001, with rankings placing Jude Bellingham 11th and Pau Cubarsí 12th.

That draft wasn’t meant to be seen. But it was. And that’s why it’s trending.

Because for English fans, Harry Kane winning Ballon d’Or feels personal. He left Tottenham with no trophies, went to Bayern, scored 61 goals, won Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal, carried England to Euros final. If he wins, he breaks a 24-year curse since Owen. No Englishman has won since 2001. The Sun noted Kane made a late arrival to Palladium, Credit: REUTERS, looking tense.

But then there was Mbappé — 50+ goals for Real Madrid, Champions League winner. And Yamal — 17, Barcelona wonderkid, already Euro 2024 winner with Spain. Three winners, one website. Who do you believe?

X chose chaos.

One user on X wrote, “ Ballon d’Or website leaked Harry Kane as winner. Then Mbappe. Then Yamal. Abeg make una decide, na three trophies una get?”

Reacting, @FootballLadLondon said, “I saw Kane article at 4:15pm, refreshed at 4:17, gone. Then Yamal appeared. Organisers are in shambles. Palladium show delayed.”

Another, @BayernFanatic, posted, “61 goals, domestic double, England captain — Kane deserves it. If this glitch is true, first English Ballon d’Or since Owen. I’m crying.”

This 70th edition was already historic — first time Ballon d’Or ceremony in London’s Palladium Theatre, not Paris. Global talent, live results unfolding. But instead of anticipation, we got a publishing mistake that revealed how these sites work — they pre-write three versions, then publish the right one after winner is announced. Someone hit publish on all three.

Similar glitches happened before — in 2022, France Football accidentally published Benzema winner early. But three winners at once? Never.

And for Harry Kane, it’s sweet irony. At Spurs, he was the man who never won. At Bayern, he wins domestic double and maybe Ballon d’Or because of a website error that couldn’t keep a secret.

The ceremony is delayed, stars still arriving on red carpet, according to The Sun. But fans already think they know.

If Kane does win tonight, that glitch will be remembered as the leak that stole his moment. If he doesn’t, it will be remembered as the cruelest tease in Ballon d’Or history.

Either way, the Palladium tonight isn’t just about who wins. It’s about a website that couldn’t wait to tell us.