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Harry Kane has won the Ballon d’Or according to the gong’s official website, as a journalist jumped the gun in publishing three articles declaring three victors.
The Bayern Munich striker, who scored 73 goals for club and country last season, is one of the favourites to win football’s most coveted individual prize on Monday night along with Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona star Lamine Yamal.
And in one for the tin-foil hat donning conspiracy theorists, all three were declared the winner long before the ceremony at the London Palladium even got underway.
Journalist Ste Tudor, working for the Ballon d’Or website, was evidently preparing articles on the three favourites, ready to hit publish when the winner was officially announced.
The three headlines read:
‘Harry Kane wins 2026 Ballon d’Or: Here are his best and most meaningful strikes from a 61-goal season’
‘Kylian Mbappe wins 2026 Ballon d’Or for consistency personified at the very highest level’
‘Lamine Yamal wins the 2026 Ballon d’Or and sets an unprecedented record’
The articles have since been removed and The Sun report that ‘organisers were left in shock by the embarrassing blunder and have launched an investigation’.
Kane will become the first Englishman to win the Ballon d’Or since Michael Owen back in 2001 if he sees off Yamal and Mbappe to claim the prize.
The England captain admitted it would be “incredible” if he was to walk away with the gong on Monday.
“It’d be incredible if I do,” he told Sky Sports.
“It’d be special for sure. I’d love to win it, but we will have to wait and see.
“A big night, but I’m not getting carried away.”
In a separate interview with Marca, the 33-year-old said: “I have never liked talking too much about myself.
“The only thing I would say is that last season was incredible, both personally and as a team.
“By far, it was the best season of my life. But the Ballon d’Or is not in my hands.”
Some players do now know their place in the Ballon d’Or rankings, with Declan Rice finishing 15th and Jude Bellingham 11th, while the top ten has also been announced.
Ousmane Dembélé
Erling Haaland
Harry Kane
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
Kylian Mbappé
Lionel Messi
Michael Olise
Fabián Ruiz
Rodri
Lamine Yamal
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