Ballon d’Or: “the integrity of this award is an absolute priority”, France Football will file a complaint after suspicious bets

Inspired or informed? Around ten accounts created on the Polymarket platform bet ahead of the ceremony on the exact first five in the Ballon d'Or ranking which saw Harry Kane be crowned Monday evening. And pocketed nearly $200,000. The Amaury group, owner of the “France Football” magazine which awards the prestigious distinction, announced on Saturday morning to Le Parisien-Aujourd’hui en France that a “complaint is being filed”.

“The Ballon d’Or is the most prestigious trophy for a football player in the world. The integrity of the Ballon d’Or is a top priority. We would like to remind you that the winner is awarded the Ballon d’Or following an independent vote. We take allegations of result leaks and potentially fraudulent betting very seriously. Investigations are underway to verify the facts and determine possible responsibilities,” declared the Amaury group in its press release sent to Le Parisien. The objective of France Football is to know by what means the winners of the 2026 edition of the trophy, and in particular the exact top 5, could be obtained by one or more individuals.

Twelve accounts identified

The teams from the economic media Upside, who had alerted three days before the Ballon d'Or about large bets on the Polymarket betting platform, identified 12 accounts, created for the occasion, having bet $264,000 on the exact order of the first five in the ranking (Harry Kane, Kylian Mbappé, Lamine Yamal, Rodri and Lionel Messi). A winning quinté which allowed them to record nearly 200,000 dollars in winnings, or around 178,000 euros. “Having been right therefore does not prove an escape in itself. The 12 accounts stand out above all because they bet from October 1 with large sums and unusual financing circuits,” Upside explained in its analysis. The media believes that the person or people behind these accounts tried to confuse the origin of the funds, in particular by financing each other.

This would not be the first leak in recent Ballon d’Or history. Indeed, during the 2024 edition which saw Rodri win the ultimate individual award, Real Madrid decided to boycott the ceremony, informed that its player Vinicius would not be the winner of the trophy. This time, it’s different since the potential consequences can be quantified.