The 2026 Ballon d’Or is facing a major controversy after 12 suspicious betting accounts predicted the correct top five. France Football has reportedly opened an investigation and contacted French police.

France Football Investigates Possible Leak of 2026 Ballon d’Or Results

The 2026 Ballon d’Or has been hit by a major controversy after suspicious bets correctly predicted the top five players before the official ceremony.

According to The Guardian on October 30, France Football is investigating the possibility that confidential results were leaked before Harry Kane was announced as the winner.

The organisers have also reportedly contacted French police following the discovery of unusual betting activity.

Suspicious accounts correctly predicted Ballon d’Or top five

An investigation by French media outlet Upside discovered that 12 accounts on cryptocurrency prediction platform Polymarket placed more than $264,000 in bets before the ceremony on October 26.

The accounts placed bets that matched the exact final top five:

• 1. Harry Kane
• 2. Kylian Mbappé
• 3. Lamine Yamal
• 4. Rodri
• 5. Lionel Messi

The suspicious bets reportedly generated nearly $200,000 in profits, raising serious questions about whether someone knew the results in advance.

France Football investigates possible results leak

Upside revealed that the 12 accounts were created between October 1 and October 20.

Seven accounts had never placed bets on other markets, while six made their first bets within just 15 minutes of being created.

Investigators also traced one transaction to a financial platform in France, which could help identify a person connected to the suspicious activity.

After receiving Upside’s findings, France Football reportedly opened an investigation and contacted French police.

Before the ceremony, the organisers had said that only a small number of people knew the winner in advance.

Could the 2026 Ballon d’Or results have been leaked?

Although the betting activity has raised concerns, there is currently no confirmed evidence that the results were leaked by someone inside France Football.

There is also no evidence that Harry Kane or any other nominated player was involved in wrongdoing.

The official results remain unchanged, and no final investigation findings have been announced.

However, the unusual accuracy of the bets has created fresh questions about how the Ballon d’Or results were kept secret.

France Football now faces growing pressure to explain whether confidential information was shared before the 2026 ceremony.