- The Ballon d’Or has been thrown into disarray after its official website accidentally published three separate articles declaring Harry Kane, Lamine Yamal and Kylian Mbappé as individual winners hours ahead of the 2026 ceremony at the London Palladium.
- The prematurely published articles, which have since been deleted by organisers, profiled each of the three main contenders as the recipient of the prestigious individual award.
- Harry Kane’s dedicated article highlighted his 61-goal season that secured a domestic treble for Bayern Munich, alongside his overall tally of 89 goals in 81 appearances for club and country since the start of last season.
- Lamine Yamal’s piece hailed the 19-year-old Barcelona star as the new king of football and the youngest winner in Ballon d’Or history, surpassing the age record set by Ronaldo Nazário.
- Kylian Mbappé was celebrated in his published article for his consistency at the highest level, citing a record-breaking World Cup performance and his goalscoring record for Real Madrid.
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