Why Police Are Investigating 2026 Ballon d’Or Results

A series of suspicious bets have caught the eye of the French authorities.

Alexia Putellas (left) and Harry Kane were crowned this year’s Ballon d’Or winners. | Jeff Spicer/UEFA/Getty Images

The French police have reportedly launched an investigation regarding alleged insider trading tied to the 2026 Men’s Ballon d’Or results.

Soccer’s most prestigious ceremony unfolded in London last month, but not without controversy. Leaks from the organizers revealed the men’s podium hours before the the proceedings kicked off, the event was heavily delayed and Harry Kane beat out Kylian Mbappé by just 28 points.

Just when the headlines were calming down, France Football has another crisis on its hands. The Athletic report 12 accounts on the prediction market Polymarket cashed in after successfully predicting the exact order of the top five male finishers.

Alarm bells were also raised due to the “behavior of the betters” within the market. Combined with the uncertainty that surrounded this year’s Ballon d’Or rankings, the successful predictions suggested insider trading.

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Men’s 2026 Ballon d’Or Rankings

Rank	Player	Club, Country
1.	Harry Kane	Bayern Munich, England
2.	Kylian Mbappé	Real Madrid, France
3.	Lamine Yamal	Barcelona, Spain
4.	Rodri	Barcelona, Spain
5.	Lionel Messi	Inter Miami, Argentina

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Originally reported by French outlet Upside, the betters wagered €250,000 ($281,000) across the 12 accounts in question and walked away with nearly €200,000 ($225,000) for successfully predicting the finishing order of Kane, Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Lionel Messi.

According to The Athletic, France Football originally opened their own investigation into the series of bets, and then subsequently contacted the Central Racing and Gaming Service (SCCJ), the unit that oversees France’s gambling, betting and horse racing industries.

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Ballon d’Or Organizers Speak Out on Investigation

The 2026 Ballon d’Or awards came with plenty of controversy. | Li Ying/Xinhua/Getty Images

Potential insider trading would stain an already controversial voting system for the Ballon d’Or award. The winner is ultimately decided by 100 journalists from FIFA’s 100 top-ranked member nations. Each juror ranks their top 10 finishers from the 30-person shortlist, with each ranking assigned a points value.

The player with the most points wins the most prestigious individual award in soccer.

In the past, winners were leaked and/or notified before the ceremony. Vinícius Júnior and Real Madrid infamously boycotted the 2024 edition after learning ahead of time the Brazilian lost the Ballon d’Or to Rodri.

“The integrity of the Ballon d’Or is an absolute priority for France Football,” a Ballon d’Or spokesperson told The Athletic regarding the insider trading allegations. “We would like to reiterate that the winner is selected through an independent vote.

“Be sure that we take these allegations of leaked results and potentially fraudulent betting very seriously. Investigations are underway to establish the facts, and determine any potential responsibility.

“We are in the process of filing a complaint with the relevant police authorities. As investigations are ongoing, no further details can be shared at this stage.”

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