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The organizers of the 2026 Ballon d'Or have issued an official statement clarifying that reports suggesting the men's award podium has been prematurely revealed are unfounded.
In the hours leading up to Monday's ceremony, the official Ballon d'Or website accidentally published three pre-written articles each declaring Lamine Yamal, Kylian Mbappé, and Harry Kane as the award's winner.
Mbappé was praised for being "the embodiment of consistency at the highest level," Kane's scoring record was celebrated, and Yamal was described as "football's new monarch." All three articles were swiftly removed, and a brief explanation was hastily added to the ceremony's official live blog.
"Portraits of some Ballon d'Or nominees prepared by Ballondor.com were inadvertently published online," the statement read. "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."
Those three players entered the evening as the frontrunners, though in what is considered an unusually competitive race, the chances of Lionel Messi, Rodri, or even Khvicha Kvaratskhelia should not be entirely dismissed.
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What Time Will the 2026 Men's Ballon d'Or Winner Be Announced?
As with any awards evening, the process of revealing results is a drawn-out affair. Organizers began unveiling the first standings of the men's Ballon d'Or at 12:45 p.m. ET (4:45 p.m. GMT), well over five hours before the top honor is expected to be announced.
Official broadcasters DAZN provided a useful, if approximate, schedule for the evening's proceedings, which are expected to run for over 90 minutes — longer than some Paris Saint-Germain nominees have featured on a Ligue 1 pitch in recent seasons.
The men's top prize winner is anticipated to be announced at 5:46 p.m. ET (9:46 p.m. GMT), with a press conference for the victor to follow shortly after. As organizers have repeatedly emphasized, the identity of the eventual champion remains a complete mystery.