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The Ballon d’Or has been plunged into chaos after its official web site revealed three separate articles claiming Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappe had all received the celebrated particular person award earlier than the beginning of the ceremony.
The world’s greatest participant of 2026 can be topped tonight on the London Palladium with Bayern Munich and England striker Kane the favorite, off the again of 89 objectives for membership and nation in simply 81 appearances because the begin of final season.
However in a seemingly colossal error by organisers, Kane was one among three winners promoted by the award’s official web site hours earlier than proceedings bought underway, with Barcelona sensation Yamal and Actual Madrid striker Mbappe – the 2 different frontrunners – getting comparable articles posted.
The articles have since been taken down by the web site.
Kane’s article was headlined: “Harry Kane wins 2026 Ballon d’Or: Listed below are his greatest and most significant strikes from a 61-goal season”, which went on to look at his “prolific haul” and data that “ensured Bayern received a home treble”.
Mbappe’s piece claimed he was awarded the Ballon d’Or for “consistency personified on the very highest degree” within the headline, following a “record-breaking World Cup and one other welter of objectives for Los Blancos”.
World Cup winner Yamal, in the meantime, had his article led on the 19-year-old’s “unprecedented document … that not even Lionel Messi managed to realize”.
Branding him the “new king of soccer”, it continued: ‘In actual fact, at simply 19 years of age, Lamine Yamal has simply turn into the youngest winner within the historical past of the Ballon d’Or, which was established in 1956.
“To really admire the size of his achievement, one want solely recall that not even Lionel Messi – the document holder for probably the most trophies – had managed to win the Ballon d’Or at that age.
“The Argentine star received it for the primary time in 2009, when he was 22 years and 160 days outdated.
“The all-time document for the youngest winner, till this magical night in London, belonged to Ronaldo Nazário, who received the Ballon d’Or on the age of 21 years and 92 days.
“Now, this historic document belongs to the brand new king of soccer and the brand-new winner of probably the most prestigious trophy on the planet.
“It belongs to Lamine Yamal Nasraoui Ebana.”
The ceremony will get underway at 8pm GMT with the Ballon d’Or winner set to be topped round 9:45pm GMT.
